


I kept this bottled up

by gurj14



Category: Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (2020)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bands, Alternate Universe - Celebrity, Beach Walking, Bisexual Dinah Lance, Dating, Drama & Romance, F/F, Friends to Lovers, Lesbian Helena Bertinelli, Lots of kissing, Misunderstandings, Soft Girlfriends, some of their exes will appear, there will be smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-12
Updated: 2020-10-12
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:21:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 49,883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24144307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gurj14/pseuds/gurj14
Summary: 'Birds Of Prey' were a huge teen idol sensation, and after a bad band breakup they are brought together for a reunion unleashing a whole lot of unresolved emotions and unresolved feelings.
Relationships: Helena Bertinelli/Dinah Lance
Comments: 67
Kudos: 204





	1. Chapter 1

“Let’s take a lunch break everyone and get back to it in an hour! Great form Dinah!”

The dance choreographer, Derek, whom Montoya hired, was a textbook drill sergeant. 

Dinah gave him a nod, too exhausted to say ‘thanks.’ 

4 hours this Saturday morning alone were spent on just perfecting the first half of her opening song. That meant there were still eleven and a half more songs to learn the choreography for.  Granted, at least a couple of them were just her sitting on a stool and looking hot while she sang, so technically only nine and a half, but still. 

Derek was the best for a reason, and she needed his kind of meticulous perfection with all the hype about her tour. Her last album won three Grammy's (Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Vocal Performance), and Dinah was determined the tour gave her loyal fans their money’s worth. 

As her backup dancers all left to grab something for their lunch hour from the cafeteria, Dinah went straight to her sports bag for her personalized meal. Perks of having a personal celebrity chef. 

She loved the feeling of having a home-cooked meal. Growing up in foster care, she had always imagined home-cooked food. So even if she had to pay for it to be made and delivered, she still preferred this Tupperware to restaurant fine dining. First she always ate a portion of fruits, and today she was pleased to find the chef had packed her favorite assortment of grapes and blueberries. 

“Lance.” The voice of her agent disrupted her fruit-time, causing Dinah to groan. 

Renee Montoya was the best agent in the business, and always showing up to check on her biggest client. She had helped Dinah go from the least memorable sixteen year old has-been teen pop idol to the twenty-six year old solo singer that was selling out stadiums today. 

For that, Dinah really loved and appreciated her. But Renee’s timing was always shit. 

Her time as a pop idol felt like a lifetime ago, but Dinah had been thinking about it a lot lately - probably because of the recent documentary cut by Netflix: ‘Birds Of Prey Where Are They?’ had been a big sensation. 

Seeing footage of her old band mates and their tours, memories had come flooding back. Helena’s longer hair, Barbara’s laughter, and Zinda’s pranks… they were different people back then. 

“Hey,” she greeted back, not entirely concerned she was speaking with a mouth full of grapes. 

“Did you hear about that documentary, Lance?” Renee always cut right to the point. 

Dinah rolled her eyes. “Ugh. My Instagram and Twitter lit up over it.” 

“Lit up is in understatement,” Renee reached over and took one of her grapes. “You ladies are still world-wide trending on Twitter.” 

"Don't worry," Dinah said, “I doubt it will last much longer Renee.” 

“It’s been number one on Netflix this entire month, you guys are being googled like crazy! Blake’s agent just called me proposing a reunion of some kind and so did Gordon’s. People are hot for Birds Of Prey again, Dinah. Must be this whole nostalgia phenomenon, like seriously. The nineties keep coming back, now it’s your millennial 2000’s shit.”

“You just want disco to come back, don’t yah,” Dinah teased her agent. 

“Fuck off.” Renee flicked her hand and took another grape, “so. Reunion.” 

Dinah laughed, humorless and loud. “Not going to happen.” 

“How come Gordon and Bertinelli don’t talk?”

Dinah sighed at the question and surrendered the rest of her fruit to Renee, handing her the container. In lieu of answering, she took out the next container of her chicken salad and had a bite. The chef marinated things so well. 

When it came to Helena and Babs, it had never been her place to say anything and she never did. None of them ever did. The record label simply said ‘the Birds Of Prey will be pursuing solo careers.’ 

Their falling out had been Barbara on an irrational rampage, the woman was hella stubborn. Even Dinah knew Barbara had completely misunderstood the situation with Helena and was being a major asshole. At the time, Dinah had really wanted to punch her for making such a big deal out of whatever… but then it wasn’t just Helena and Barbara - it was also whatever went down with Helena and Zinda. 

Zinda was tight-lipped about it to this day, Helena even more so. Barbara had washed her hands of them weeks after the fallout and accepted a role in her first movie. Dinah felt the rug pulled out from her feet with her dream escaping her until Renee Montoya gave her the option to try solo. Her anger at her band mates for ruining their career had since turned into gratitude. No longer was she the token black girl while Barbara took the lead, now she was the voice she knew she was born to be. 

To this day, no matter what had happened or how bad the band’s breakup was… none of them had ever revealed what caused it. There was at least that mutual understanding to not bad-mouth one another to the press. She had seen the fan documentary herself, curious of course. It had every conspiracy theory under the sun, from jealousies to affairs, and company politics, wondering what was so important that the girls had never revealed it and refused to comment on it, and why had Helena Bertinelli not been at Barbara Gordon’s highly publicized wedding? 

Dinah raised her brow before admitting, “no. They don’t.” 

“Look, I know it ain’t my business what happened but the public is ready for more and this is something we can capitalize on.” 

“Why can’t we capitalize on the mystery, huh?” Dinah stuffed more food in her mouth. “Come on Renee, my hands are full with this tour.” 

Truth was, they had been a girl group with major hit singles, screaming fans, and way too much fame for their young age. The pressure to churn out more money for the label probably added fuel to the fire. Dinah was better seasoned now and adding pressure to her hectic schedule was not appealing. 

“You’re the only one who keeps in touch with all of them,” Renee picked up another grape and chewed it, giving her a shrug. “That’s why I’m bringing it to you. Gordon’s agent sounded desperate. A reunion album with your cred at the moment? That’s a whole lotta money for us, Lance.” 

“Hell would freeze over before Barbara Gordon would ever agree to a reunion. She still won't visit her death mother's grave.” 

“Request is from her Agent directly.” 

_No fucking way._ Dinah gives Renee a look that says as much. 

“I swear it.” 

“Unless Babs herself brings it up,” Dinah sipped some water, “I won’t believe it.” 

///

Renee hadn’t brought it up again so Dinah hadn’t given it a second thought. 

Then, Barbara showed up to her mansion later that same evening. 

“Babs?” Dinah let her in with total surprise, having expected that if someone was going to drop by unannounced it would be her assistant with that lemon tea Dinah liked to have before bed. She had run out. 

She watched as Barbara bent down to pet her little Yorkshire terrier ‘Tweety,’ before standing up and nervously fiddling with her jacket’s sleeves. 

“Hey,” Barbara pushed her glasses up her nose next, and looked around the tall ceiling and vast space with awe. “Great place.” 

Her attire was kind of frumpy and her hair needed a comb. The jeans and a hoodie were not the Barbara from magazines. Her glasses needed to be cleaned and the stress was permeating off her shoulders. 

Dinah gave her a quick hug, “Come in, I guess. What brings you by?”

Usually in a year they spoke on Barbara’s birthday or Dinah’s birthday. That was it. They would always pick up where they left off, laughing and ecstatic, but today Barbara looked down as if embarrassed. 

Dinah closed the door behind them and led Barbara to her living room, gesturing for her to sit. Tweety jumped up into Dinah’s lap, and Dinah dutifully petted him, watching Barbara continue to nervously move around. Her conversation with Renee echoed in her mind. 

“Want anything to drink? Don’t tell me this is because your agent called my agent about a reunion. I told them there was no way you would ever do one.”

Barbara sighed, “Dinah… we need to do one.” 

“I’m sorry, what?” 

Apparently hell was frozen over. 

“It’s,” Barbara took her glasses off and rubbed her eyes irritably, her voice was shaky as she revealed. “Dick and I are divorcing, Di. We’re over. I’m close to broke… I haven’t had any acting roles in two years, we did the calculations and a Birds Of Prey Reunion album and possibly a tour would… well it would help. It would really fucking help.”

Dinah sighed, understanding her friend’s position now, “shit, Babs… I had no idea it was that bad. You should have called me.” 

“I know… I just... “ Barbara let out a sigh that reeked of emotional exhaustion. 

“What happened with Dick?”

Barbara shook her head, “he’s… just, fuck him, okay?”

Dinah didn’t pry further than that. 

Barbara had always been so in love with Dick Grayson from the moment they met. She had always had eyes for him and pursued him. They were Hollywood sweethearts, always being posted about in celebrity magazines as a perfect couple. Dinah had gone to their wedding four years back and Zinda had been a bridesmaid. 

Helena had not been extended an invitation. 

“Me too,” Barbara breathed out shakily. “So… I know you’re busy Miss Grammy, but, will you at least consider it?”

“Sure,” Dinah smiled softly, wanting to help her friend’s situation, “our fans are pretty enthusiastic about it… it would be hard to say no. My agent is sold out too. Just need to figure out my tour first.”

“Yeah. Zinda I spoke to this morning, she’s in too,” Barbara’s moment of relief is soon overtaken with trepidation. “The only thing is...”

“Helena.” Dinah chewed her lip thoughtfully, filling in the blank. “You were really harsh with her, Babs. I don’t think she would, even for the money.” 

Barbara’s nod is pretty sad, “Zinda hasn’t spoken to her since we - you know? Neither have I. I know you keep in touch with her so… if you could just ask her? Please? Tell her I want to talk...” 

“Come here,” Dinah hugged her friend, “I’m sorry about Dick being a dick… and I can’t promise anything about Helena but I will ask her, okay?”

“Thanks,” Barbara sniffled, hugging back. “You’ve always been a good friend Di. By the way, how’d you find that documentary?”

“Ha! Can you believe the clothes we wore back then?”

///

The Birds of Prey had been a big chapter of Dinah’s life. From the pubescent ages of fourteen to sixteen, she was thick as thieves with Barbara Gordon, Zinda Blake, and Helena Bertinelli. They spent so much time together, laughing and touring. Their stage names hung with them even till now, ‘Batgirl’ for Babs, ‘Blackhawk’ for Zinda, ‘Huntress’ for Helena, and ‘Canary’ for her. Dinah could hit up a nightclub and not be surprised to hear their biggest single ‘Dance With Me’ in all it’s upbeat glory. 

But they had all grown up, too. As teen idols their images were styled by the label. Barbara was the sweet ‘girl next door redhead’ and lead singer, Zinda had been the ‘spunky rebel’ with pink tips in her short blonde hair, Helena had been the ‘tall brunette dancer’ with good moves and a shy smile, and Dinah had worn her hair curly and been the token ‘black girl’ even if the media said she was the ‘high note hitter.’ 

Since their breakup, Barbara had gone on to win a few Emmy’s and MTV choice awards as she became an actress, settling into her celebrity marriage and status. Dick had been her co-star in a hit teen drama before his career took off in a film franchise where he played a gay detective. 

Zinda had outgrown her short punk-hair into wavy blonde and girly couture, breaking off into a solo career like Dinah had. She was who Dinah ran into the most these days, both signed by the same label still. Their music styles were very different, Zinda was all Euro-club beats and pop which often took her to Europe for tours, while Dinah had won Grammy after Grammy with her jazz, R&B, and Soul music.

Helena, however, had stayed out of show business. 

Dinah knew Helena was much happier to leave that world behind, she kept her hair shorter these days and it really suited her. Finding her was always easy: Dinah just had to call Helena’s secretary, an older woman Terry who loved dogs, mention Tweety in conversation and ask what site Helena was working on. 

Helena Bertinelli had gone into construction, taking contracts to develop houses and properties. She used celebrity contacts from her time in Birds Of Prey to get her foot in the door. Dinah had hired her to work on her current mansion, really proud of her friend for all she had accomplished running her own business. It was very impressive, and Dinah loved seeing her like this: focused on work and all-business. 

“This drywall work is shit,” Helena said simply to the man in his hardhat, her knuckles knocking on it and frowning at the sound. “Fix it.” 

“You said that last time and -”

“Did I fucking stutter Dave? FIX IT AGAIN!” Her rage issues were well known by her workers, considering ‘Dave’ just sighed at his boss instead of looking upset with her outburst. 

Dinah chuckled from her position by the door frame. Her chuckle caused Helena to turn towards her in shock, a red flush creeping up her cheeks in that way it always did when Dinah caught her off guard. Dinah loved that reaction. 

“Dinah?” 

“H,” Dinah had her hands stuffed into her jean jacket’s pockets and looked around the property as she walked closer. “Yeah this drywall is shit.”

“Oh my god,” the carpenter whom Helena had been scolding, gasped in recognition, “Dinah Lance! My boyfriend and I are huge fans. Can I get a picture?”

Dinah snickered at Helena’s eye roll and allowed it, happy to meet a fan. In the corner of her eye as she posed and partook in the art of fan-selfies, Dinah could see Helena fold her arms in a defensive posture, perturbed. 

“Thank you! You are friends with Miss Bertinelli?” Dave asked, excited to have the picture as he moved back to give her more space. 

“Friends?” Dinah smiled coyly at Helena before stepping into Helena’s personal space and slinging her arm casually around taller shoulders, “oh yeah. We go a long way back. Hey, you know, H, you can always ask me to spring you tickets for your employees if they’re fans?” 

“I will fix this drywall right away Miss Bertinelli!” He announced, determined to get tickets. As he rushed off, Dinah turned mischievous eyes to Helena’s now amused face. 

“Fucking Dave,” Helena huffed, her cheeks still flushed. 

“What’s up,” Dinah smirked at Helena’s agitation, dropping her arm from her shoulders. “Drywall got you down? You need to hammer some nails?” 

Her carpenter jokes always made Helena loosen up and she felt the annoyance leave Helena's system like clockwork.

“Do you need any remodeling on your place?” Helena asked her, ignoring her rhetorical questions. 

“Nothing like that. Believe it or not, I’m seeing you for something else.” 

“Something else?” Helena looked curious and apprehensive. “You usually text me if you want to grab lunch.”

Dinah let out a hum, “You see the documentary that dropped?” 

“No, but I’ve had some reporters calling my secretary trying to pretend to be clients. To get me on the phone.” 

Her clipped tone is telling enough to Dinah how much she hates the documentary on principle, and Dinah can’t help but giggle. Helena was always adorable when she got annoyed. 

“Huh. I saw it when it came out. We looked cute back then. It was so weird seeing your hair long.” Dinah reached out to poke Helena’s arm, smiling when Helena’s cheeks reddened some more. 

“At least I don’t have to dye it brown anymore,” Helena subconsciously combed her fingers through her naturally dark hair before blushing even more and panicking, “I don’t mean your hair doesn’t look good. You always look great, I mean… Erm...”

Dinah laughed, “relax. I didn’t think that was what you meant.” For a couple of years now, Dinah had started dying her hair blonde, loving the aesthetic. Her hairstylist, Emmanuel, was an artist. 

“Feels like a lifetime ago, doesn’t it?” Dinah turned her body to lean against the wall, observing Helena as she recrossed her arms and leaned back too. 

“Not long enough,” Helena said, leaning her head back against the wall before turning curious eyes to Dinah. “Why memory lane?”

Dinah could tell Helena was nervous now. The few times Dinah had tried to get her to open up about what happened between her and Zinda, Helena never followed through with explaining. All she knew was Zinda had been upset and took Barbara’s side. 

“Barbara dropped by my place last night.”

Helena’s expression turned shocked before it turned grim, “oh. So?”

“Well, among telling me she’s getting a divorce from Dick, she requested I ask your opinion on the band having a reunion.”

“You’re joking,” Helena deadpanned, “Barbara hates me. Zinda also hates me.” 

“Apparently she is desperate… and she’s broke. They’re talking about a reunion album and Zinda agreed. My agent is all for it too. Since I’m the only person you still talk to, I’ve been requested to bring it to your attention.” 

Helena’s eyes turn away from her and stare up the ceiling in thought. 

“You guys can do that without me,” Helena eventually said, “you just need me to waive my rights, right?”

“Helena. That would be millions of dollars. A whole lot of millions of dollars.” Dinah kicked her shin. 

“Yeah well, I don’t need it do I? More for you guys.” Helena mumbled. 

Dinah is the one to roll her eyes now. 

“I told them you wouldn’t do it, even for the money. But, you know… even if we don’t have a reunion, don’t you and Babs think ten years is too long? Especially now that she’s divorcing him?”

“It’s not just Barbara and you know I never gave a fuck about her and Grayson,” Helena whispered, looking very torn with this conversation. 

“I know,” Dinah did know. “And I have never asked you to explain yourself to me, or what the hell happened with you and Zinda… but come on. It can’t be so bad can it?”

Helena pushed off from the wall and walked away from her. 

“Helena… look,” Dinah pleaded to her back, the friend in her wishing all of them could just bury the hatchet, “we all made a pact when we were fifteen that if any of us got mad at one other we would always work it out… stay a team.”

Helena spun around, pissed. “Yeah and two years later they decided I’m not worth any friendship pact, so… why should I follow a pact they didn’t follow?”

“It’s not too late -”

“It is too late!” Helena snapped, her anger bubbling up enough that she punched clean through the shitty drywall, “so drop it, Dinah!” 

Dinah had seen her friend angry a lot of times, Helena’s temper was what Dinah teased her as ‘either an Italian stereotype or just a harmless, cute quirk’ of hers. Dinah tended to find it hilarious, especially when Helena was drunk, but this, right here, this was not okay. Seeing her hurting after all this time made Dinah more determined to get involved. 

She grabbed Helena’s arm and held it up between them, watching the regret on Helena’s face from her violent outburst, “seriously? Punching a wall?”

“Fuck,” Helena cursed and then apologized, “I’m so sorry I did that, Dinah” 

“Look, with that kind of reaction, this wound is currently still getting to you after all these years and you didn’t see Babs last night, Helena. She was broken. Just… come on. She’s willing to talk,  _ don’t  _ be stubborn. My house. Tonight, 10 p.m. No Agents, no commitments. You, me, Zinda, and Barbara. We air this out.” 

Dinah can feel Helena’s hand trembling in her own and her eyes starting to lose their anger. She looked as if she was willing to concede and agree, and finally Helena pulled her hand back from Dinah’s and tucked it into the pockets of her black trench coat. 

“I can’t promise anything, Dinah.” 

“10 p.m. and not for the money, for closure,” is all Dinah chose to respond, turning away to leave her friend. 

///

By 11 p.m. it seemed pretty clear Helena was not going to show up. 

“More wine, Di?” Zinda requested, offering her empty glass to Dinah who smiled at her. She wasn’t sure why she was disappointed Helena hadn’t shown up. Maybe she thought Helena would listen to her, that she had that kind of effect on her.

Helena tended to be closed off, but with Dinah she had always been rather… soft. A supportive person who had always encouraged her in her solo career, or stuck up for her as teens by telling Dinah and others that ‘you’re clearly the best singer out of us, you should get more lines in our songs.’ 

“Fuck her, we can do this without her!” Barbara stood up, her impatience making itself known. Just when she was about to storm out, the doorbell chimed. 

They all paused at the echo and Tweety barked, causing Dinah to walk to the door and open it.

Helena walked inside in full riding gear, a motorcycle helmet tucked under her arm and a neutral expression on her face as she met Zinda and Barbara face to face after ten years of no communication. 

The tension in the room was instant. 

Dinah closed the door behind her and watched carefully as Helena stalked forward, placing her helmet on a table nearby and then simply announcing with a rough cadence, “sorry I’m late. Wasn’t sure if I should come.”

“Fair enough,” Dinah walked back to the couch and gestured. “Want to sit?”

Silence lingered until Tweety barked, and only then did Helena cautiously take a seat far away from everyone. 

“Wine?” Zinda broke the silence, her eyes nervously trained on Helena as she asked. “We, uh, already finished a bottle while we were waiting.” 

“Helena doesn’t drink if she’s riding,” Dinah mentioned casually before pouring Helena a glass of water. 

“Thanks,” Helena smiled shyly at her, grateful. It was Dinah’s way of letting her know she was here for her and seeing Helena smile was a relief. She watched Helena take a sip of water and wait. 

Zinda chugged her glass of wine in that moment. 

When no one talked, Dinah knew she would have to. _What a bunch of stubborn fucks._

“So… this documentary brought back a lot of memories, huh?” Dinah started. 

“I can’t believe my pixie cut,” Zinda drawled out in agreement, clearly tipsy. 

Dinah snickered until she noticed Helena and Barbara in a tense staring competition. 

“Look Helena,” Barbara spoke to her at last, swallowing her pride, “Dick and I are over so… what’s in the past is in the past.”

Helena felt a decade of anger come back in that moment. 

“It’s not my fault your boyfriend hit on me, Barbara.”

Barbara snapped back almost instantly, “you guys went behind my back-”

“He was my friend, that’s it. He made a pass at me and I turned him down.”

“I…” Barbara’s started to water, “I trusted him, Helena. And Zinda said-”

“He kissed me and violated my trust in him,” Helena stood up in her anger, “and you believed him over me. _Me._ He was upset I rejected him and you were stupid enough to let him get away with fooling you!” 

“I know!” Barbara finally shouted, tears leaving her eyes. “God I know, okay? I was jealous with everything you guys had in common! I was jealous he liked you and not me!”

Shocked to see the infallible Barbara Gordon sobbing, Helena stopped her shouting. She was still angry, but she caught herself from raising her voice this time. 

“Jealous? You know what, fuck you.” Helena’s glare was deadly as she spat the words. “You were unreasonable and you always blow shit out of proportion.” 

Dinah piped in, hoping to ease the blow, “he loved you Babs, he did… he just liked her first is all. We all knew it… I’m sorry he hurt you.” 

Zinda laughed dryly. “Everyone liked Helena, even our producer.” 

“Ugh that guy was a creep,” Dinah agreed, recalling the way he always tried to ask Helena to be alone with him. 

“Yeah,” Barbara even chuckled at the memory, “remember when we gave him that laxative in his coffee?”

Helena snorted at the memory and for a brief moment everything seemed okay again. 

Until Zinda added to her, “you were a real heart breaker, Helena.” 

Dinah saw Helena turn her angry eyes to glare at Zinda, watching Zinda simply smile back, bitter. Whatever had happened between them, there was a clear warning in Helena's eyes that Zinda should shut up. 

Barbara sniffled, unaware of what Dinah had just noticed. Wiping her tears, Barbara finally confessed, “he cheated on me with his co-star, Kory. He’s taking the houses, the cars, _everything_ … I need this tour you guys. He never really loved me and I’m finally accepting that I was never his first choice.”

Helena looked at Dinah briefly before turning back to the girls, “I already told Dinah. I’ll waive my rights and you guys can go ahead.” 

Barbara and Zinda look stunned.

“Helena,” Barbara wiped haphazardly at her eyes, “I’m so sorry for being so unfair okay? Please, the tour wouldn’t really be a reunion without you.” 

Helena, however, was already back on her feet, ready to walk out the door. There’s a petrified look on Barbara’s face as Helena made toward leaving. 

“Wait-” Zinda stood up, speaking up, “we’re not done. I haven’t apologized to you.”

“Whatever Zinda.” Helena ignored her, reaching for her helmet to get out of there. “Hope you guys have a good life.” 

“It’s my fault things got so out of hand,” Zinda confessed, shouting out loud to the room at them all. “I was jealous. So I… so I told Barbara it was true, that you kissed Dick back even though I knew you… you liked someone else.” 

Helena stilled her movement, not daring to look or turn back. She stopped in her tracks. 

“What are you saying Zinda?” Barbara is confused, “ _you_ liked Dick? You were jealous?”

Dinah had always wondered why Barbara had been so sure Helena had kissed her boyfriend and never given her the benefit of the doubt. She broke up their band over it and emotions had been high and volatile. 

But in that moment Dinah understood. Zinda had edged Barbara on as a witness, had caused the distrust. Made it feel like a betrayal. But why?

“Are you fucking kidding?” Dinah turned to Zinda, her eyes flashing, “you did that? Why?”

“No, I didn’t like him!” Zinda shook her head desperately, raking a hand through her blonde hair, “no I… I _liked_ Helena, okay?”

Dinah turned her eyes to Helena’s back where the woman was still frozen, facing away from them. 

“Back then, I liked her. I liked you-” she was talking to Helena’s back and her lip quivered, “ _so_ much.”

Helena turned around, a warning in her eyes. “Zinda don't-”

“I kissed her the night before and panicked about it,” Zinda cut Helena off, telling Barbara and then looking at Dinah. 

Dinah looked from Zinda to Helena and then back at Barbara, knowing her gaze mirrored the sheer ‘what-the-fuck’ of it all. 

After a tense moment of stunned silence, Dinah let out a laugh of utter disbelief that escalated the tension in the room. 

“I told you guys to listen to Helena and you _never_ did. Now we’re adults and this shit still sounds childish as fuck! You backed up Barbara’s crazy-ass notion that Helena betrayed her, when you were just upset because she didn’t like you? Are you fucking serious, Zinda?” 

“Well I’m sorry,” Zinda took an angry step forward, angry tears in her eyes, “I was young and fucking stupid, I had _not_ come to terms with liking a girl and the emotional trauma of it all confused me - and, yeah, I felt betrayed by her, okay?”

“Why would you feel betrayed?” Barbara looked equally pissed right now, raising her voice at Zinda, “you lied to _me_! I feel betrayed! You were a bridesmaid at my fucking wedding!”

“Oh fuck off Barbara,” Zinda yelled back, “not everything is about you! It’s always about Dinah!”

Dinah was pretty fucking offended. Her face definitely showed that as she shook her head. 

“Unbelievable! Okay, Zinda, what the fuck did I do? Other than have to put up with all this shit from you drama queens for way too long?”

Her sarcasm was well deserved, Dinah thought. This was stupid. They were all so, so stupid. And Helena had never thought, not once, to say to Dinah ‘oh Zinda liked me that’s why we don’t talk.’ 

Dinah was fucking pissed. 

“Helena was totally in love with _you_!” Zinda accused her, “and this band didn’t just break up because I kissed her and Dick kissed her and she rejected us both, okay? It broke up because Babs was too jealous of your talent, we could all see that!”

Dinah is confused, focusing on the first part of Zinda’s tirade. The words registered in her ears, but her brain was having difficulty processing them. 

“What? No Helena was not -”

She paused, memories coming back to her in flashes: all the times she felt Helena’s eyes on her when they would sing at the studio or talk on their tour bus and gossip, shyly admiring her. 

Dinah turned her gaze to Helena with sudden understanding, finding guilty and frustrated eyes staring back at her in fear. There was a moment where no one said anything, and then suddenly Helena was grabbing her helmet and out the door. 

“I guess she still is in love with you,” Zinda sounded jaded, reaching for more wine. 

Barbara glared at Zinda, probably more pissed off at her calling out the jealousy than anything else. 

“You lied to me,” Barbara shook her head, “you made me hate her!” 

“I can’t fucking believe you Zinda,” Dinah channeled all her annoyance and disappointment to her blonde friend, watching her shrink guiltily into herself. “Or you, Babs.” 

Barbara collapsed back into the sofa, hand covering her face. "I don't blame you." 

Dinah left them to go and run after Helena, who was already straddling her bike with the helmet on and looking to start her engine and flee the scene. 

“Hey!” She desperately clung to a bicep, “Helena. Hey.”

Helena was tense and didn't move, fingers locked on the handlebars. 

“Talk to me,” Dinah pleaded, “I promise you can talk to me, please don’t run away from me!” 

Finally, Helena removed her helmet. Dinah could see how upset she was. She was not crying, but she was most definitely close. 

“Hey,” Dinah grabbed her cheeks and forced her to look, “is what Zinda said true, did you… did you have feelings for me back then?” 

Helena’s expression was so clouded with shame when she gave a simple nod, that Dinah felt her heart kind of break at the admission. 

“Oh Helena,” She moved forward and hugged her friend, bringing Helena's head to her shoulder before moving back slightly to smack her arm, “you stupid asshole! You could have told me!”

Helena shook her head, awkwardly rubbing her arm where it was hit, “I thought you would hate me.”

“I am not a drama queen like all of you assholes,” Dinah hugged her even closer again, easing her fingers through Helena’s hair, “you fucking idiot.” 

Helena doesn’t hug her back, instead relaxing into her shoulder and closing her eyes. Dinah understood her at this point in their friendship. She was never really a touchy person. 

“I never wanted you to stop being my friend,” Helena finally confessed. "Back then it was easier to let it all play out the way it did so you would still be my friend." 

“You should have told me,” Dinah told her with a whisper in the night air, “then your first kiss wouldn’t have been Dick Grayson.” 

Helena leaned back, looking highly unamused and sporting a bright red blush. "Fuck off." 

Dinah laughed, “We are cool, okay? Now come on… I think there’s a lot more shit we need to talk about, you up for it?”

Helena bit her bottom lip in thought but ultimately stood and swung her legs over her bike. She let it rest on the kickstand and gave Dinah a small smile. 

“Fine. For closure, not for money.” 

Helena walked in front of her, heading back to the house and Dinah watched her stride. 

In their band, Helena had always been the ‘pretty’ one. And Dinah had never told her friend about any of her female hookups while on tour, or how much she admired Helena’s body, or how sweet and adorable she was... how attractive Dinah had found her. 

She had always been pretty positive Helena vibed _that_ way - hell, the woman never talked about boys. She had just been blind and kept Helena in a friends-only box considering the woman had always been there for her and clearly preferred not to be touched. They had careers to focus on... but now, learning Helena had been willing to walk away from the band's fame and fortune, to let Barbara hate her, to let Zinda be a coward, and to keep her feelings hidden all to save her friendship with Dinah and support Dinah’s career…

Dinah felt a sudden urge to kiss her.

She was definitely going to kiss her. 

Never in her life had Dinah wanted to kiss someone so badly. 


	2. Chapter 2

Dinah closed the door behind Helena, very aware that emotions were still high in the room as they both came back inside. Zinda was holding her knees to her chest on the sofa with her face pressed to them, and Barbara was still wiping away some tears. 

While they had made a lot of progress in terms of the truth, the wounds seemed to have never healed and it was now or never. 

“I’ll make us some coffee,” she announced to everyone. 

Helena unzipped her leather jacket and hung it up on the coat rack before once again surrendering her motorcycle helmet and keys to the table. 

There was no further acknowledgement from Helena, so she walked forward. She grabbed a tissue box and gently placed it by Barbara’s thigh.  Barbara sniffled and grabbed a few to dab at her eyes. 

“I think I’m going to throw up,” Zinda’s voice was heard before Dinah could ask her if she was okay. The blonde stood up on shaky legs and ran down the hall to puke in Dinah’s bathroom, an echo of her groaning was heard. 

Dinah winced at the sounds of heaving before she walked to her kitchen, making a beeline for the coffee machine. 

Helena had ignored Barbara by the couch to follow her, Tweety barking at her heels. Dinah glanced back to observe as Helena reached down to pet him. This whole evening was borderline surreal. How had she been so blind to the fact that Helena was into her like that? How had Zinda known? Now that she had suddenly become aware of all this history amongst her friends she had clearly never fully understood, she had so many questions.

“Babs, you want a coffee?” Dinah shouted out to the living room where Barbara was blowing her nose into a tissue. 

She saw an arm reach up, displaying a ‘thumbs-up’ for a yes and turned on her fancy machine. As it whirred and heated up, she rested her hip against the counter top. 

Helena stood up, awkwardly meeting her eyes. “Espresso for me, please.” 

“You got it… you know, it would be fun recording with you again,” Dinah said to Helena, not sure if it was a good idea to bring up their moment outside. She hoped the smile she gave with her words was warm and inviting to get Helena to relax. 

Helena often wore some kind of jacket whenever they hung out, and now without it covering up her arms, there was more skin for Dinah to see. She had seen Helena in less clothes, of course, from photo-shoots and tours --  but that was a decade ago. This was new. 

The soft white of her t-shirt contrasted to the brown of her eyes -- her very dreamy eyes. Helena had always been objectively beautiful, when they were younger she was always being hit on the most out of them with her model-good looks. 

She had been approached frequently for more modeling gigs when they were younger as well, but as a band their contracts limited them to group-only promotions at the time and what was approved by their label. That meant modeling a line of makeup, some clothing lines, and a Pepsi endorsement that they all still cashed a small residual on. 

Dinah had teased her tall, serious friend in the last few years on more than one occasion that Helena should sign a modelling contract for leather jackets since she was almost always wearing one. 

Without her trademark jacket, the elegant length of her neck was more prominent, and the lean muscles in her arms flexed as Helena braced against the counter top. Tweety had gone to his water bowl to drink, leaving them alone and thirsty from all of his barking. 

Where she used to feel a line drawn in the sand and had never allowed herself to think of Helena as more than a good looking friend (because Helena as anything but a friend had never been an option and now she could be), Dinah felt almost obliged now to admire her friend’s figure.

The problem was the confusion this new revelation brought into Dinah's mind. 

Kissing her was the obvious choice - if Helena still found her attractive, that was. But beyond that was tricky. Dinah had a hectic schedule. Anyone she had tried dating almost always blamed her for not giving them enough time which was why one-night stands tended to suit her better. Her last real relationship had been with Oliver, and that left an especially bitter taste in her mouth when he made her choose: career or him. 

_ I’m getting way ahead of myself, Helena liked me back then. Doesn’t mean she feels that way now. I just haven’t had any sex in four months because of work and she’s sex on legs.  _

“Um,” Helena’s cheeks were turning a little red under Dinah’s staring, and she combed her hair back in that adorable nervous gesture that she clearly didn’t realize was sexy. Dinah watched the flex of her bicep from where it peeked under her sleeve before turning away and grabbing some mugs. 

She busied herself with putting coffee in the filter and waited for Helena to say more than a stuttered preposition, scolding herself mentally for taking her dry spell out on Helena. 

“I’m out of practice with dancing,” Helena said at last, “and singing for that matter.” 

Dinah wasn’t facing her, trying to reach up and grab an espresso cup from her cupboard’s top shelf. She frowned when the handle escaped her fingers, just barely out of reach. 

“You look like you’re still in good shape, H. Plus, we are getting ahead of ourselves. We can start with an album.”

There was a sigh, then the shuffling of feet on her kitchen tile before warm breath blew at the back of her neck. Helena had reached up over her shoulder to where her hand was in the cabinet, grabbing the small espresso cup she had failed to. 

“Here,” Helena put it down on the counter. “I told you it didn’t make sense for you to put things in places you can’t reach them.” 

“You’re the only stuck up bitch I know that comes over for espresso,” Dinah turned around, quickly and on purpose because Helena was right there and she craved some kind of interaction. She was secretly pleased to hear the catch in Helena’s breath where they were practically chest to chest. 

This close, the air around them felt unbearably warm. She caught Helena's nervous eyes with her own and offered her best grin. 

There had been plenty of times Helena had grabbed that espresso cup or come over in the years, talking Dinah through what needed to be done in her house. Plenty of nice lunches in the city, and even a stack of inside jokes they had… but this was the first time Dinah had been so close to her and so aware. This gorgeous woman who liked her and smelled so nice. 

“You could have just asked me out on a date like a normal person instead of building me a dream house, you know.” She took the cup from Helena’s hands and smirked. 

“What--” she saw the red creep all up Helena's neck and face and Dinah couldn't help it when a giggle bubbled in her chest.

She watched Helena's mouth shift into a sulking pout. “Are you going to keep teasing me about this now because that was like ten years ago.” 

Dinah felt the pang of disappointment. Okay, so it had clearly been presumptuous to entertain the notion that Helena could still harbor a crush. 

“I might,” Dinah hid her hurt at those words well, putting the espresso cup under the drip. 

She pondered telling Helena that she was not straight, that she was still an option if Helena wanted to give it a try. Maybe Helena felt she was belittling her feelings? Maybe Helena had never told her because she thought there was absolutely no way Dinah would ever say yes?

But as fate would have it, before she could open her mouth and say the words, Zinda came back from the bathroom. She interrupted the moment walking by the kitchen with the groan of someone that had drunk too much alcohol and thrown it up in shameful regret. 

“If we are going to do this,” Helena whispered quietly for her ears only, “please don’t leave me alone with them.”

“I promise,” Dinah said, meaning it. 

Helena’s responding nod looked relieved and she waited until Dinah brewed the coffee before daring to enter the living room again. 

The minutes passed into hours as they talked things through that night. They huddled around Dinah’s coffee table with a coffee pot, largely to sober Zinda up from her wine binge, and to honor their pact. 

Helena had sipped her one espresso and afterwards been largely silent, staying close to Dinah and agreeing with Dinah’s suggestions for their timeline by merely nodding her consent. They talked about Dinah’s tour schedule and Zinda’s tour schedule, and some auditions Barbara had scheduled. 

It was still crazy to have her band mates all together in her house after such a long time. The evening had taken a turn from a surprising, cliffhanger-drama to a melancholic, sober-hangout. 

“Listen up guys, we can’t have any more drama going forward... Anything else we need to get out we have to do it now.” Dinah proposed, turning her eyes away from Helena’s distracting forearms for what felt like the hundredth time that night. 

There was a long pause and Helena shifted, leaning over to pet Tweety who had curled into her side. 

“We aren’t kids anymore,” Zinda said in agreement. “I know I have a lot to own up for.” 

“Agreed… So… Me first. I was jealous, I admit.” Barbara confessed quietly, “I was always training my voice but you could just sing like it was as easy as breathing, Di.”

Hugging her knees to her chest, Dinah told Barbara, “I practiced a lot, Babs. I came from the streets and our band was my big break, I gave it my all. Sometimes it felt like I was the only one who actually cared about the music and our next song. You were all about parties and Dick Grayson.” 

They’re all quiet and Zinda clinked her empty coffee mug on the table, humming, “You had laser vision when it came to him Babs. My dad died and all you cared about was if Dick was texting you back fast enough.” 

Barbara closed her eyes, “Fuck… I.. I’m sorry I was such an insufferable asshole, you guys.” 

“We were sixteen,” Dinah shrugged, “we learned from it.” 

Zinda poured more coffee for herself, shooting Dinah a thankful smile. 

“So, Helena,” Barbara spoke up, trying to get the only one of them that had not participated and simply listened to talk, “How come you never told me you… liked girls? I would have never believed Dick if you told us... I mean assuming you like girls only that is...”

Helena looked up from where her finger had been idly playing with Tweety’s fur. After a long pause, even Dinah wasn’t sure if she was going to answer until she did. 

“I was afraid of losing you as my friends. Now I know better, you can’t lose what you never had.” 

The truth of it knocked the wind back out of Barbara’s sails and Dinah reached over to place a hand on Helena’s where it lay nearby on the carpet. 

Zinda wiped a tear from her eye before more leaked in its place, “I… honestly didn’t think telling Barbara would blow up like that Helena. I’m  _ so  _ sorry. I just didn’t want it to get out that I kissed you after everything and... so I thought if the attention was on you and him… God, I was so stupid. I’m so sorry. I was a coward and angry that you liked Dinah when I was right  _ there  _ in front of you. I was so fucking stupid and cowardly!”

Helena kept her head down but offered Zinda a simple, “whatever, Zinda. I know you were afraid and angry… we can move on from it now.” 

Zinda nodded, a look of gratitude on her face. Dinah was surprised, she didn’t think Helena would offer that kind of compassion at all or so soon - it was a pretty shitty thing for Zinda to do considering the fallout it created. 

“If I had known,” Barbara said after Zinda’s tears slowed down, “just imagine where would we be now.” 

Before Dinah could roll her eyes at Bab’s classic self-centered approach to a problem, Helena was laughing out loud. 

The kind of laughter she was unloading was full of incredulity, “It was simple. You already had one foot out the door, Barbara, because you weren’t the center of attention all the time. I was getting approached for modelling, Zinda was making more friends so she wasn’t always at your beck-and-call, and Dinah kept getting called the best singer so you being leader was questioned. You wanted out so you didn’t want to believe me. You didn’t want to stay in the band.”

Dinah was stunned, and she knew the others were as well. 

“We would be exactly where we are right now,” Helena said without sugar-coating it, her laughter having dissipated into some chuckles.

Barbara was the first to speak up, “you didn’t owe me an explanation, Helena, I owed you the benefit of the doubt. I was… you’re right. I was a self-centered bitch.” 

Helena shook her head in an almost exasperated way as if to say ‘that’s an understatement,’ “Remember that time we were on the tour bus and Barbara turned Dinah’s mom’s death into her feelings of grief?”

Zinda and Dinah cackled at the memory, and Barbara's face flushed bright red like her hair. 

“I got uncomfortable with all the sad okay!” She defended herself, a small smile at her lips as her old band mates all laughed. Helena’s laughter was a lot lighter now, and Dinah caught her eye. 

“Babs you made me stop eating ice cream in solidarity with you,” Zinda’s giggles escalated, “Helena’s right. It was always your way or no way.” 

As the laughter died down, Barbara looked down in guilt with an apologetic smile, “I just wanted it all… to be an actress. To stop being on the road all the time… to be the best. You guys are the best friends I’ve ever had and I am so, so unbelievably sorry for being such an egotistical bitch.”

“It’s alright bitch,” Dinah chuckled at her friend, “I still love ya.” 

Silence lingered again as they settled down until Dinah poured herself some more coffee. 

“So what really happened with Grayson, H?” Dinah asked Helena, now that Helena was engaged in the conversation. “The truth we never listened to or know, I mean.” 

Helena gave Dinah a curious look before replying in a low voice, “I hadn’t seen you guys all day. Grayson texted me about meeting up for video games in the lounge like we all used to, you know?” 

They made sounds of agreement. It was not unusual for them to meet at the lounge on long days. Video games were something they used to play a lot together on the road too, to blow off steam when they were stuck at the record label or touring for long hours.

Dick and Helena got along when they’d hang out as a group. They liked a lot of the same movies and talked about them, or about getting a motorcycle. They shared food, and they even had a few inside jokes that were kind of nerdy and no one else found as funny. Barbara had felt threatened by their friendship back then, so when she heard they kissed she had let loose a lot of pent up feelings on their closeness and called Helena a lot of nasty words. 

“He told me you guys were going to join us but it was getting late and you still hadn’t shown up, so I told him I’d be heading out. He kind of,” Helena paused reminiscing the moment, “just grabbed me and told me he really liked me and kissed me. It happened really fast.”

Helena looked at Barbara, seeing how even now it brought heartbreak to the redhead. With the hint of apology in her voice, she continued. 

“I was surprised. I pushed him off of me, and I left. Then I went to go find you and tell you because… you deserved to know your boyfriend tried that.”

Barbara was crying again, “and instead I blamed you because he texted me you kissed him. i believed him over you, and Zinda never... never corrected me.”

Helena nodded, then her eyes turned to Zinda. “I ran into Zinda first.” 

Zinda lets out a wavered breath, close to tears again. "Not my proudest moment." 

Dinah is kind of over all the drama, Barbara and Zinda had started and stopped crying so many times that night she was getting whiplash - but she knew it was a healing process for them all. Carrying this kind of grudge for so long had really fucked them all up and taken an emotional toll they underestimated. 

“She said she had something to tell me,” Zinda shared, wiping the tears from her eyes, “but I cut her off and kissed her, confessing that I liked her. I thought she was going to tell me she liked me… boy did I read those signals wrong.”

“You were just getting kissed by everyone, huh,” Barbara chuckled in good-nature, before addressing Zinda with more seriousness. “So… then what, she pushed you off of her too and you came to tell me she confessed to you about Dick?”

Zinda shrugged, “no. She didn’t push me off, she just told me she had feelings for someone else and she didn’t think of me that way. She didn’t tell me who. I panicked and ran, found you and Dinah, and heard you screaming when Dick texted you that Helena kissed him…”

Dinah remembered the scream of outrage Barbara had let out back then - they had all been wondering where Helena was all day too, and it had just been a small miscommunication with their manager to meet at the record label on which floor. Barbara had shown them the text and Dinah knew there must be more to the story, but then Zinda...

She closed the final mystery of the chapter and realized out loud, “You honestly thought Helena liked him when you told Babs it was true, then.” 

“I did,” Zinda wiped her eyes, “and then Babs got so angry that she said she wouldn’t renew the contract because of Helena’s betrayal, and Helena kept saying she never kissed him… I asked her how she could kiss him and do that to you. I confronted her about it, we had a huge fight, and she told me that it was Dinah she liked.” 

Dinah felt Helena’s hand retreat from where she had kept hers over it this entire time. She tried to swallow down the hurt at the gesture. 

“And you never thought to tell me when you found out,” Barbara shook her head. “Fuck, Zinda.”

Helena let out a stern, “Whatever.” 

Zinda shook her head, “no! Not  _ whatever _ . I’m sorry. Again, I am really fucking sorry.”

“Let’s just move on,” Helena sounded exhausted. “Put this shit in the past where it belongs.” 

Barbara scratched at her hair with a groan, “God, we are such a mess.” 

Dinah could only snort her agreement. The sound of the clock ticked and chimed as a new hour was hit.

Turning to Helena, she gave her very best ‘you better say yes’ look, “so… what do you say, H? Reunion?”

Helena looked surprised to be asked first, but after a small beat she gave in with a stuttered, “S-sure…”

Barbara, Zinda, and Dinah all cheered and Helena allowed a smile on her face as well.

“Thank you,” Barbara said to them all. “I have a lot to make up for and I get a second chance to do it… thank you, all of you, for doing this to help me out.” 

“Let’s call it a night,” Dinah suggested, leading them all to stand up. 

Everything seemed forgiven and resolved, until Barbara leaned forward to hug Helena and the brunette stepped back with her hands up in a sure warning. It caused them all to pause in their newfound cheeriness, and Barbara awkwardly dropped her hands. 

“Look, I’ll do this for you guys so Barbara can get paid and honestly I don’t mind doing it for our fans, but I am not your friend. I don’t do hugs, I don’t want to hangout and reminisce, and I’d rather that we put this behind us and move on with our lives after this is all done and over.”

The overall mood of the evening took a turn for worse, and Dinah watched Helena wordlessly turn and leave, grabbing her jacket and things on the way out. She ignored the absolute shock and heartbroken looks on Barbara and Zinda’s faces to chase after Helena, Tweety barking at them again. 

“You okay? Tonight was a lot,” Dinah observed her as Helena put her arms into her jacket’s sleeves and zipped it up. If a zipper could be abused, it was with that angry tug. 

She grabbed Helena’s helmet before Helena could, holding it out. 

“I’ll be okay, just keep me in the loop,” Helena cleared her throat and requested, taking her helmet and avoiding touching Dinah’s hands before bidding an abrupt, “night.”

“Goodnight,” Dinah opened the door and said with understanding and affection, “drive safe, H.” 

Helena was gone without another word and Dinah locked the door before going back to join Babs and Zinda. 

“You guys are welcome to crash here,” Dinah offered. “I have some spare rooms.”

They nodded and Dinah could see how much Helena’s rebuff of friendship had affected them. She herself was surprised at the level of upset - it was not like when Helena punched a wall or yelled. It was deeper than that. 

“Give her time, you owe her that,” Dinah told them, hoping they understood. 

After showing them to their guest rooms for the night and leaving the dishes in her sink, Dinah gave Renee a call. 

“Well?” Renee had clearly not been able to sleep. "It's almost for in the morning Lance, you had better got that reunion shit figured out by now."

“You sound eager,” She teased Renee before sighing, “we discussed and all agreed to start with the album.”

“Bertinelli too?”

“Yeah,” Dinah said, recalling Helena’s request that Dinah not leave her alone with the other two if they did this. “And you can handle her contract and all that shit for this too, right?”

“I was wondering about that, she doesn’t have an agent?”

“No. You can do it?”

“You got it. This is going to be awesome, Dinah. And remember you’re meeting that Cain kid tomorrow for lunch.”

Dinah sighed, looking at the clock. Tomorrow was going to be fucking tiring. “Alright, yeah. Sure.” 

She had slept the instant her head touched her pillow, and awoken from the loud snare of her alarm. After having a morning bite with Barbara and Zinda, they conferenced their agents on a call and got the go-ahead to confirm a reunion album on their social media accounts. 

She had also sent Helena a brief text when she made it to the label, inquiring _you good_ ? but had yet to receive any reply. 

“Dinah, meet Cassandra Cain,” Renee Montoya introduced her to the young up and coming artist from their label. Dinah was happy to meet the kid but tired. A find of Renee’s, Montoya had been trying to set up a meeting for ages and Dinah had been too busy. 

She knew Cain kept Renee pretty busy which kept Renee off her ass, and Cain was a really talented guitarist with a sweet voice that was a contender to open for her tour. 

“Oh my god you’re  _ Canary _ ,” Cassandra Cain jumped to attention from where she had been slouching in her hoodie, snapback, and jeans. “I am so excited you guys are going to have a reunion!” 

Dinah was flattered at the reaction, unaware the girl was a Birds of Prey fan. It had hardly been a couple of hours and this kid was already aware of it too. 

“Hey, kid. Love your style and vocals.” She held her hand out for a high-five. 

“You like my music?” Cassandra looked absolutely star struck so her reaction to slap Dinah’s hand was delayed. “I - I became a singer because of you, you know.”

“Really?”

“Yeah,” Cassandra looked down shyly, “I was in the system too.”

Dinah felt her heart melt a little. “Yeah?”

She saw Renee watching them with keen interest - Dinah had to select an artist to open for her tour and Cassandra was Renee’s choice, not hers. She had heard the music and agreed but now she knew why Renee had been working so hard to organize a meeting for them. 

“Let me buy you lunch?” Dinah offered, pleased to see Cassandra eagerly nod in agreement. 

After a very pleasant lunch with the kid, Dinah kept checking her phone for any reply form Helena. Still nothing. Maybe she was reading into it too much, but Helena's demeanor had taken a 180-degree with her last night. 

Now later that evening, Barbara and Zinda and their agents had called a conference to iron out details. 

“We can have them do a song in Dinah’s tour to announce the album,” Renee suggested to the other two agents. 

They were in a conference room at the record label and watching their agents with amusement while sharing their pizza dinner. 

The three agents had shed their blazers and were increasingly impolite to one another as they argued how to announce the next thing, and what profit was going to who. 

“Fuck I’m tired,” Dinah closed her eyes, fighting a yawn as she chewed her food. It had been ages since she had indulged in food not prepared by her personal chef. She felt like she might be sick from all of the grease, but she was tempted to have another slice. 

“This is like old times,” Barbara reminisced, “pizza, late nights at the label, people yelling in suits…”

Dinah and Zinda chuckled, fondly recalling all their shenanigans. 

“Oh! remember that time we had to stay because there was a recording problem and they made us wait here for thirty hours so we could finish one unison verse for editing on ‘Shot Through the Heart’ with that bridge we all kept laughing on!” Zinda reached for another slice of pizza. 

“Oh my god, yeah!” Dinah wheezed out as they all broke into hysterics. "

“We did like twenty rounds of laser tag,” Barbara held her side as she laughed, “Helena kept shooting us and we couldn’t find her!”

Their laughter and all their individual memories of the good time came rushing more and more to the forefront, and Dinah let Barbara pull them into a group hug.

“Thank you guys,” Barabara said, “really.” 

Dinah squeezed her back, Barbara stuck between her and Zinda in an one-armed sandwich. It was nice but it felt odd without Helena there too. 

“What about Helena Bertinelli?” Barbara’s agent asked loudly, interrupting the tender moment the girls were sharing by reminding them of the fourth member of their band who was missing. 

“She’s given me full permission to work on her behalf,” Renee rolled her sleeves up, taking a smug sip from her coffee before making a face at it’s taste. 

“You her agent? Shit. This makes you call all the shots you sly motherfucker Montoya,” Zinda’s agent huffed. 

Renee chuckled at them, “Did I fail to mention Dinah’s been approached to show up on Dr. Harley next week? I was thinking we could contact the showrunner and make it the Birds of Prey reunion interview instead?”

“Oh yes!” Zinda’s agent was excited. 

Dinah had to step in then, “We should check with Helena first, Renee.”

“No need, she told me whatever you decide she’ll commit to, we spoke about it before this meeting on the phone.” Renee said, unaware of how much those words brought up the recent emotional roller coaster they had all gone through at Dinah’s house. 

Dinah felt Zinda and Barbara’s questioning eyes on her, but she gave them a shrug determined to mask her hurt. Renee had been in touch with Helena and was handling things on that side, but Helena had not been in touch with her since the other night at Dinah’s house. She could speak with Renee on the phone but not answer a fucking text? 

///

Dr. Harleen Quinzel was a trained psychologist, one who also had the good looks, ambition, and charisma to become the biggest talk show host with her daytime show  _ Dr. Harley.  _

Dinah had been interviewed by Harley a handful of times, probably more than most because Harley was a huge fan of her music and vocally supportive of Dinah’s philanthropy with underprivileged kids and efforts to improve foster care. 

As soon as their upcoming reunion album hit the internet and magazines, bookings were being made in high demand. 

Harleen Quinzel jumped at the chance for dibs on an exclusive Birds of Prey reunion interview, not at all upset Dinah requested it for her booked interview time. 

A week had passed since their reunion became official and Dinah was utterly exhausted with her current choreography schedule. Because of the taping for Dr. Harley today, she was up earlier than she wanted to be on a Monday sipping her second iced coffee in the same hour as her hair was getting touched up with a re-braid and blonde dye. They would get interviewed with a live audience, but the episode would air on Thursday. 

Around lunchtime, her awesome assistant Alistor, brought by the sub sandwich her personal chef had made along with her designer outfit that she was commissioned to wear. She thanked him and sent him a grateful smile, he was working hard alongside her and equally if not more exhausted. 

Barbara and Zinda showed up together as her hair was finished - clearly still maintaining a solid friendship after the dirty laundry they all aired out a few weeks ago. 

“Where’s Helena?” Barbara asked after Helena had yet to show up, thirty minutes from the agreed time. She was clearly worried Helena might back out last minute, and Dinah didn’t blame her. Helena had not had contact with any of them since, only with Renee Montoya. She had not answered Dinah’s phone or texts either which was worrisome. And fucking rude. 

“She’ll show up soon enough,” Dinah gave the hairstylist a thumb’s up. “Love it! Thanks.” 

“Your hair’s volume is incredible, can’t believe this is all natural!” His name was Johnny, and he was a total sweetheart. He moved on to help Zinda with her hair as the studio makeup artist took over to matching Dinah with the right foundation shade. 

“Can I eat first?” Dinah batted her lashes at the artist sweetly. 

“Sure thing honey,” he winked before moving on to Barbara who had been glued to her cellphone. 

Dinah took a big bite of her sandwich and moaned. Perfection. 

“Birds of Prey!” Harleen walked into the makeup room with a bright smile, her blonde hair in loose waves and a pair of thick-rimmed black glasses on. The tips of her hair held some pink and blue and Dinah smiled at her arrival, waving with her mouth full of sandwich. Harley always emitted an energy that made her and other guests of the show feel relaxed and happy to be there. 

“Dinah I already know, and you must be Zinda and Barbara - love almost all of your movies, Barbara, and Zinda that club beat you dropped is my girlfriend’s favorite jam right now.” 

Barbara and Zinda chatted back and forth with the warm host and Dinah grabbed her phone to check her text messages, continuing to enjoy her food. Helena had yet to respond to her question from that morning:

_ I’m grabbing an iced coffee for hair and makeup, you want anything? _

She wasn’t worried Helena wouldn’t show, Renee had confirmed Helena would be and Helena had signed the same contract they all did with details about attending promotions, what they could and could not reveal, and their studio recording time at the label with profit agreements. But being ignored for over a week now was harsh. 

“Where is that Huntress?” Harleen was the one to ask now, and before anyone could even come up with a lie to answer her, Helena walked through the door with hair wet from the rain and a black trench coat leaking water droplets to the floor. The morning had been a little drizzly, but Helena looked like she had come through a downpour. 

“Sorry, traffic,” Helena greeted tersely before - to Dinah’s surprise - leaning in to give a quick one armed hug to Harleen. 

“Was getting worried about ya Helena,” Harleen kissed her cheek in familiar greeting, and then maneuvered Helena into a chair. “Now that you’re all here, I got the notes from your team on what I can and can not ask so no worries. We’ll go over some career stuff, relationship stuff, and then the reunion and that documentary. Total air time twenty minutes so you ladies get five minutes each!” 

“Perfect,” Dinah smiled at Harleen as she finished the last bite of her delicious sub-sandwich, “thanks.”

“See you ladies out there! This is so exciting!” Harleen was out of the room, asking some P.A. to find her egg sandwich before they went on air. 

Helena removed her coat as Johnny finished with Zinda’s hair. He moved onto Helena’s wet hair, a blow-dryer at the ready. 

Helena caught her eye in the mirror and then immediately looked down at her lap. Dinah chose not to comment, especially since the makeup artist who finished with Barbara was on her instantly with foundation against her cheek. 

“You know Harleen, H?” Dinah asked after the makeup artists stepped back to determine if it was the right shade. Dinah liked it and gave a smile in thanks. 

“Yeah um,” Helena cleared her throat, aware that others in the room were listening to her too. “Contracted her gazebo.” 

After the hair and makeup artists finished with them, Dinah sent her assistant off for the afternoon for which he seemed grateful - he was as tired as her and they had been crazy busy. Zinda kept her assistant backstage, since the girl was apparently a huge fan of the show and Barbara’s assistant was still out trying to find her a coffee. Helena, she knew, didn’t have one. 

The backstage coordinator told them they would be on stage in five minutes and Dinah turned to her old band mates with a smile, hoping to ease the tension they had felt since Helena joined them in hair and makeup. Or maybe it was just nerves for their first public appearance as a team in over a decade. 

“Let’s kick ass, Birds of Prey style. Harleen is a great host.”

“We got this,” Barbara smiled, looking excited. 

Dinah was wearing an emerald green suit with a flare and she loved the look. Her torso boasted a black lace bra that served as the top, her cleavage was there but still tasteful. It was a piece sponsored to her by designer Arthur Curry and she loved his taste. Her hands were adorned in her signature rings and she watched as Barbara fussed over her dress in the mirror. Barbara was wearing a blue dress, clearly looking to make her best impression. Zinda had a rather cool pink samba printed jumpsuit. 

“We look good,” Barbara complimented everyone, a wide smile on her face. Zinda high-fived her and Dinah smiled. They did all look good together, wearing different colors meant they wouldn’t clash on the set but it also showed off their individual styles well and complemented their appearance as a group. 

Helena looked flawless in an unfair way, considering she was clearly wearing what she usually wore to work and had put minimal effort into her attire. With her hair blown out and styled by Johnny, and a touch of smokey eye and lip stain, she caused Dinah’s heart to flutter. Helena had opted to wear a black turtleneck with black leather pants and a pair of black pumps. All black had never looked so majestic or hot. 

“Hey,” Dinah stood next to her, “you never messaged me back.” 

“Right. Sorry.” Helena didn’t look at her as she apologized with a clipped tone and Dinah felt more than a pinch of hurt at the obvious indifference. 

Before she could say anything, the lights were turned on bright and Harleen was starting her show to the cheering of an enthusiastic audience. The show started and they were introduced and called out as a group for the first time in ten years. 

Barbara was the first to step out onto the stage, followed by Zinda. Dinah casted one last look at Helena before shrugging off her emotions and giving her practiced camera smile, taking a seat on one of the set couches. Two had been set up next to Harleen’s arm chair, and Helena sunk into the space next to her while Barbara and Zinda sat in the other one. 

It was a rather simple and fun interview, Harley asked questions that went beyond the simple basics of other interviews. She started off by sharing her favorite song of theirs and a rather hilarious story of failing to accommodate tickets to one of their concerts and sneaking in with friends when she in high school. She brought up their documentary and what they all thought of it, and Helena stayed quiet as they spoke (because Dinah knew she still hadn’t bothered to watch it). 

When Barbara confirmed she was divorcing Dick Grayson, there were no questions about what happened, just more spotlight on her career and what she liked to do as a hobby. Harleen was a professional and asked deeper questions without bringing up Dick’s affair, like if Barbara ever felt like 'just going away where paparazzi couldn't find her' because many people went through divorce but not under public scrutiny. 

“These girls really had my back through it all,” Barbara promoted their relationship with full sincerity as she lied through her teeth, “They’re my sisters.” 

Helena crossed her legs at the statement but said nothing. Barbara was a great actress in the way she delivered those words. 

Zinda had hilarious stories to share of touring in Europe and all the language barriers, and she even made up a story of how their reunion was a lot of laughter and memories over a bottle of wine instead of the vitriol of emotions it had been. Dinah saw Helena curl her hand into a fist at that and remain quiet. 

When it was her turn for some rapid questions, Dinah chose to keep the attention briefly on her upcoming tour to promote it and shared little quips about her friends without bending truths the way Barbara and Zinda had.

She first shared a fun story of how she met up with Zinda in Europe the year before and they had an epic dance off after too much champagne to some Whitney Houston, then she shared her tradition of doing shots with Barbara at every awards show they ran into one another at. 

It was all marketing, showing their friendship and bond and talking about it. But when she spoke about Helena, she could not suppress the fondness in her voice. 

“Helena’s never really been much about the fame part,” Dinah explained with a warm smile, “we meet up for lunches here and there since we’re in the same city. She built my dream house, which is gorgeous!” 

Harleen shared then, how Helena's company had developed her yard and a gorgeous gazebo - showing a picture. Harleen used that as a segue to start talking to Helena, and Dinah is surprised to see Harleen carry most of the conversation so Helena doesn’t have to explain much showing the familiarity they have with one another. Helena is relaxed for the first time during the interview. 

Harleen shared with the audience how after the work on her gazebo, her and Helena struck a conversation on books and started their own book club. 

“Now I know why you haven’t been to book club in a while,” Harleen teased her. “Your band’s back together!”

Dinah learned a lot about her friend from Harleen’s sharing, like how she was trying to grow her own vegetables, and how she had recently backpacked through Peru with her cousin. There were many things she didn’t know and it left a bitter feeling in her throat. 

Dinah knew all about how Helena’s university let her take an online degree because of her fame, how she picked up the trade from her Uncle who had since passed away, and about her ability to speak Italian, Sicilian, and even some Mandarin because of her business contracts in China. 

But these things _Harleen_ knew and Dinah didn’t, like about book club and cooking. And the smile Harleen got Helena to share on camera… These were  _ personal  _ things. Did she and Helena only ever talk about work? It would seem so.  Dinah felt a hot coil of envy deep in her gut as she watched Helena’s interaction with Harleen. 

The interview ended with Harleen showing them an old photo from their tour, and it was like a blast from their past. 

It showed them candidly goofing around on their old tour bus: Barbara had jumped on Helena’s back and Zinda was lying on the floor with Dinah sitting on her and they were all mid-laughter, care-free, head thrown back and  _ happy _ . 

“We were almost always laughing on tour,” Dinah found herself reminiscing fondly at the candid image. 

“I absolutely love this photo! What would you guys say to yourselves back then, knowing what you know now?”

Dinah looked at herself in the photo, “I’d tell her to be braver… she didn’t have the confidence to really carry her sound.” 

There was some applause and Barbara went next, “wow… we were so young!” 

The audience laughed. 

“I would tell her to never accept the script for Valley Teen!”

That spurred even more laughter, and it was hilarious- that movie was infamously known for being absolutely terrible. 

“Tough question,” Zinda hummed tapping her chin in thought, “probably cut down on the partying… and the kissing.” 

Her salacious response got catcalls and cheers from the audience and Harley leaned over to give Zinda a high-five. “You sound like you knew how to party!” 

“You know it,” Zinda winked playfully. 

“How about you, Helena?” 

Helena gave a small shrug at Harleen’s question, “probably to play less video games.” 

To the audience perhaps it was a cute answer, rather non committal. But to them and recent revelations of what caused their rift, they understood what she meant. 

The taping came to a conclusion and Dinah watched as Harleen and Helena left to go grab lunch together with the same hot jealousy bubbling again when Helena smiled at the talk show host. She had to get back to work and her tight schedule, so she bid Zinda and Barbara a good day before leaving as soon as she could.

///

Dinah frowned at the reply Helena had texted her. 

She had been asking for lunch once a week for over a month now since the _ Dr. Harley  _ interview, and the first four ‘sorry I’m stuck at work this week’ texts had been fine (because at least Helena was replying now after getting called out on it). 

But a fifth one? Her patience was seriously waning.

Phoning Helena’s secretary Terry and bringing up Tweety was fool-proof, as always. And the woman told her Helena was not working any sites today which meant Helena was at home. 

She had never been to Helena’s house before, but she knew the address. She had mailed Helena flowers for her birthday there every year, and additional ones when Helena graduated with her online degree and got her first contract. 

They almost always met for lunch in the city or at Dinah’s home ever since Helena contracted for her, where they had espressos and Helena pointed out the work to be done in the house. She didn’t know what to expect and she was pleasantly surprised as she pulled her latest Jaguar up the long driveway. 

The fenced land was pretty big and spacious, but the house was pretty small in a cute farm kind of way. It sat on prime real estate by the ocean, exceedingly private from the city where only the sound of waves and seagulls could be heard. It was so Helena. 

Dinah saw her motorcycle parked under a shed and a light on in the kitchen. She parked her car and exited with a nervous gulp. Helena was moving around in her kitchen with a frown on her face, visible from the window. 

Annoyed at her friend’s weirdness lately, but also pleased to see her, Dinah knocked on the door. 

There was a waiting period and then Helena yelled out, “come in Dave - FUCK!”

Her expletive was followed by a loud clanging. 

Worried at the disastrous sound, Dinah let herself in and found Helena cursing by her stove. Something smelled delicious and she was relieved to see her friend cursing at the splattering of something on her white shirt. 

“Fucking fuck!” Helena turned around, and the frown on her face softened instantly into confusion at Dinah being there and not Dave. “Dinah?”

“Hey,” Dinah smiled, suddenly second-guessing her decision to come here. “I heard the crash… sorry I just barged in. You okay?” 

“No it’s - that's fine, no worries,” Helena was stuttering and red-faced. 

Dinah raised a brow at the bright red splatter across her white shirt before realizing a pot had been dropped onto the floor and scattered a red sauce everywhere. 

“Shit, what happened here?”

Helena grimaced at the mess, “burned my hand… wasn’t uh, paying attention.” 

Like a siren called to a song, Dinah stepped into Helena’s personal space and reached for the hand she now realized Helena was clutching to her side. She grabbed it without permission, turning the sink tap on to cold and forcing Helena’s hand under the water. 

“Jeez H, it’s red.”

Helena was quiet and after a few moments of holding her hand under the cold water, Dinah looked up to find Helena’s eyes on her. Realizing she had been caught staring, Helena looked down immediately. 

“So, uh, what brings you by?” Helena asked after making a strange noise in her throat. 

“You’re avoiding me.” 

She felt Helena’s hand twitch and then retreat from the water before Helena hastily turned the tap off and turned around, facing away and not denying what they both knew was true. 

“That’s fucking cold… I better clean this sauce up.”

Dinah watched her friend grab a roll of paper towel and clumsily unravel a whole lot of the sheets. She rolled her eyes and stepped forward, grabbing some for herself. 

“You don’t have to-”

“Stop making this so weird, Helena!” Dinah snapped at her, “I’m going to fucking help you clean this shit up and then we are going to talk about the fact that ever since I found out you used to like me, you avoid me like the plague!” 

Helena’s face turned even redder and Dinah saw her give one sharp nod before they both leaned down to clean up the mess. 

It didn’t take too long to soak up sauce with paper towels and throw them away, and Dinah watched Helena give the tiles a quick mop after before chucking her pot in the sink and quietly telling Dinah to go sit on the couch.

Feeling warm, Dinah took off her denim jacket and laid it on the couch in Helena’s living room before taking the space in. 

She glanced around the area, there wasn’t much. It was sparse and clean with a few framed photos, some succulents by the window, and a large bookcase hosting a variety of literature - poetry, bibliographies, and to her absolute delight one particularly curious title. 

“Is that my autobiography from a couple years back?” She reached for the spine and pulled it out, smiling when she realized the book had been opened and read, and wasn’t just for show. 

“Yeah, so,” Helena walked into the living room, in the middle of changing her shirt. The white tee that had been stained was gone, and Dinah was given the rare sight of Helena in a bra before she finished pulling down a black tank top with very thin straps. There was a whole lot of arm and shoulder and the glimpse of stomach she had seen was enough to make even Dinah blush - and she was around fit dancers and models every fucking day. 

“Want me to autograph it?” She teased, averting her eyes to stay focused on Helena's neck and up. 

Not that it made any difference, Helena’s face was stupidly attractive. 

Helena crossed her arms and blushed, “it was okay”

“Okay?” Dinah put the book back in it’s spot, feigning offense, “it was a bestseller for like a whole two weeks. I wrote about you in it.”

“You said I had good dance moves,” Helena smiled now, some of her trepidation gone, “nothing else.” 

Dinah shrugged, “You were an awesome dancer…”

Helena had rhythm down, a pleasant voice when she sang but always amazing when she moved. 

“You know, my publisher wanted me to write a tell-all on the Birds of Prey even back then. She was stubborn as hell but I threatened to pull out if she persisted… our past has a way of catching up to us.”

Helena looked away from her again, nervously rubbing the back of her neck as she understood Dinah’s double-meaning. 

“We can talk now if you want.” 

Dinah reached forward and grabbed Helena’s left hand, seeing the injured skin was still red and blistering. “Does it hurt? You should have kept it under the water longer.” 

Helena curled her hand into a fist and tugged it out of Dinah’s hold, “please don’t touch me.” 

“What?” 

“Don’t… don’t touch me. It makes me feel things whenever you do.” 

Dinah looked up, finding the desperation in dark brown eyes to please let go. The problem was, now that she knew the effect she had, she really wanted to latch on. 

She steeled her resolve in coming here, taking a step closer. “It makes you feel things, does it?” 

Helena’s breath hitched at the proximity. When Dinah lifted the harmed palm up to her lips to place a soft, comforting kiss on it, Helena's eyes shifted from their fearful pleading to total surprise. 

“You make me feel things too,” Dinah whispered, reaching with her other hand up to cup Helena’s hollow cheek. It was warm to the touch from all of the blood rushing there at their lack of distance, and Dinah leaned forward with her lips, intent to close the remaining gap. 

She moved slowly forward so her direction was clear, gauging Helena’s reaction. 

Helena’s lips parted in anticipation and when their eyes met again, Dinah knew she was powerless to back out now. This would change things between them forever, cross the line from friends to something more entirely and she didn’t want to hold back from making the leap. 

She tilted her face up the last inch, pressing her lips gently against Helena’s parted ones with her eyes drifting close to savor the softness of their touch. The kiss was nothing but a slight pressure that lingered for an electrifying moment. Dinah rolled back from her toes to her heels to assess the response, breaking contact with some reluctance. 

Helena’s eyes had closed shut as they kissed, and they slowly opened to look back at her. There was a moment where her tongue quickly dipped to her bottom lip and her eyes stared at Dinah’s lips in open want, clearly wanting another taste. 

Dinah dove in for another and Helena made a noise in the back of her throat, like a groan of approval. This kiss they shared had more intention and purpose, and soon it caressed into another and then another, each longer and sweeter than the last. 

The burned palm she was cradling between their chests gripped her fingers tightly when Dinah nipped Helena’s lower lip with her teeth. Helena pressed more into her lips, hungry. Dinah sighed, switching her angle to deepen it. Helena's lips were so soft and wonderful, Dinah felt her body sing at each smacking sound they made. 

Dinah stopped their make out so they could both catch their breath, panting. 

When she looked back up Helena’s eyes, she was surprised to find them shining with unshed tears. 

“What are you doing?” Helena asked her in quiet bewilderment, her voice was frantic and shaky as she caught her breath. 

“Kissing you,” Dinah squeezed the hand between hers and then let it go to cradle Helena’s face in concern with both hands. 

It was the sudden understanding of how much Helena had been bottling up her feelings that made Dinah angry. 

“You should have told me,” she felt tears escaping her own eyes as she scolded her, “you should have  _ told  _ me.” 

Helena nodded in guilt, “you… you felt the same?”

Dinah shook her head, “no, how could I? I never even gave it a thought because I thought you… you never -- but if i had  _ known  _ I would have kissed you sooner than this.”

Helena exhaled a breath, a tear escaping her eye that she hastily wiped at. She backed away from Dinah’s touch, “you just feel pity for me.” 

“No,” Dinah tugged her back in by her face, pleading with her to listen. “No, I don’t have any pity for you-”

Helena shook her head, cutting her off, and grabbed Dinah’s wrists to take the hands away from her face as her voice raised in anger, “don’t jerk me around, Dinah!”

“I’m not,” Dinah urged her, finding her own voice raising back, “I’m trying to tell you that I think you’re beautiful and all kinds of sexy, but because I thought you were nothing more - could never be more - than a friend, I never let myself think of you that way. I never knew you were an option!”

Helena looked down between them at their hands, the anger she had expelled was deflating and she looked torn between wanting to be hopeful and still downright confused. 

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying that,” Dinah stepped back into her space, cupping her face again to soothe her, “if you still have any feelings like that for me, any at all, I’d really like to explore them with you. If you want to. Ever since I found out I can't stop thinking about you that way.”

“Oh.” 

"While you process that and give me your answer, you have any first aid for your hand?" 

With a nod, Helena left her to go retrieve it and Dinah sighed. Her heart was pounding from their kisses and the proof that Helena still liked her. Now it was time they talked. 


	3. Chapter 3

Links: inspiration for Helena singing is this clip of MEW singing ‘Baby It’s You’  [ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLG645FHMu0 ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLG645FHMu0)

///

Helena came back a minute later, a small first aid kit from her kitchen clutched in her hands. Dinah was finding it difficult to refrain herself from jumping the other woman with another kiss, her lips still tingling, heart racing, and her mind still reeling from all the wonderful sensations, but Helena deserved to have her emotions respected right now - and that meant Dinah needed to keep it in her pants. 

Wordlessy, they sat down next to one another on the single love seat sofa Helena had, and Dinah took charge by taking and opening the kit, and grabbing Helena’s palm to pull it to her lap. It was silent save for the sounds of Dinah fumbling with a bandage packet and applying burn ointment. Only after she was satisfied with the tape, securing it in place, did she dare to look up. 

She found Helena watching her with a soft smile and all determination to talk like responsible adults left her because Helena was leaning in. 

As their lips inched closer, Dinah felt her heart leap from her chest. She leaned forward, inexplicably drawn. Just when their lips were millimeters apart and she could practically taste it, a loud knock interrupted them. They jumped back, startled. 

“Fuck!” Helena cursed out loud, vocally upset at the disturbance, “Fucking Dave, was dropping by, I’m sorry, Dinah - COME IN DAVE!”

“Hey,” Dave, the guy who sucked at drywall and liked her music, let himself in. Dinah collapsed back against the couch in disappointment. She had been  _ so  _ close. 

Helena turned to observe him, her voice still thick with annoyance, “Did you bring the right paperwork this time, Dave?”

Dave was wearing sweats and a t-shirt splattered with paint, unaware of what he walked in on as he shut the door behind him and took off his shoes.

“Yeah, about that, they sent the wrong pipes.”

“What do you mean they sent the wrong pipes!” Helena was up, hands on her hips as she glared at him. “What the fuck! These mess-ups are ruining our schedule.” 

“Yeah I know - ” Dave paused when he realised Dinah was there, his mouth agape in shock. 

“Hey,” Dinah stood up slowly, tucking her hands into the back pockets of her jeans and hoping it wasn’t too obvious she wanted to strangle this man for  _ kiss-blocking  _ her. “Dave, right?”

“Yeah - yes! You remember my name!” He jumped for joy and even though Helena’s back was facing her, Dinah could feel the eye-roll. 

“Dave. We talked about this.”

“Right yes, sorry,” he didn’t look sorry at all. “So excited about this reunion, never really knew who Birds Of Prey were or that my boss was one but man we are getting so many calls and a journalist showed up at my - ”

“Just give us five minutes,” Helena looked back at her apologetically, cutting his rambling short and directing him away from Dinah and to the kitchen area by his shoulders. 

“Sure, H. I’m just going to use your restroom!” Dinah called out, amused with Dave’s excitement. He was sweet despite his terrible timing. 

“Go ahead,” Helena smiled at her, with a sweet and happy grin. A grin with  _ teeth _ . “Make yourself at home.” 

Washing her hands in Helena’s restroom and spying on all the contents (a seven-step French skincare system? No wonder the woman’s skin was always so nice) Dinah took a controlled breath and smiled as she realised she had never seen Helena smile like that at her ever before. She needed to see it again. 

//

After Dave had left, Dinah’s stomach rumbled, giving her hunger away. 

“I’m hungry too,” Helena offered her shyly, “want to eat with me?” 

“What food you got?”

“I fucked up my dinner so let me check the fridge,” Helena rubbed the back of her neck which was reddening as well, and then walked across the kitchen to open her fridge. “Leftover risotto? I just have to microwave it.”

“Sounds great,” Dinah watched her put the food into the microwave. She sat herself down at the kitchen island and leaned forward on her arms, tapping her fingers on the marble and watching. 

Things were not awkward or tense, but the silence lingered until the microwave beeped. 

“I love your place,” Dinah finally said, watching the way Helena grabbed them both some bowls, her lean arms stretching to the cupboard and her black tank top hitching up and exposing more skin at her tummy. Dinah knew she was ogling and quickly looked down at her fingers when Helena turned back. 

“Thanks,” was the reply, the cupboard closing before Helena set utensils down beside them. 

Dinah was trying to figure out how to start the conversation, having opened her mouth only to close it again once or twice already. Helena’s kitchen gymnastics definitely not helping her keep a clear head. 

“New recipe, hope you like it.” Helena split the food into two bowls, oblivious to the turmoil in her mind, and offered a spoon as she slid one bowl over. 

The first bite had her closing her eyes in bliss. “Fuck that’s good. You made this?”

Helena nodded, looking proud that Dinah was enjoying the food. They both ate in comfortable unison. 

“Why don’t we go to the beach, take a walk?” Helena left their dishes in her skin and fidgeted with the hem of her top, much like a little girl. Dinah covered her hand over the smile that started to expand on her face and collected herself before replying. 

“Yeah, sure.”

Helena led the way down the wooden stairs to the pirate beach area after getting their shoes and coats on. There was a warm breeze that blew their hair a little more to the left, and Dinah fell into step with her incredibly kissable friend who kept her hands stuffed deeply in her lamb-lined coat’s pockets, waiting for her to talk. Or maybe Helena also didn’t know where to start. 

Minutes passed and nothing - the romance of the breeze and the sand and the glow of the sun were too much for Dinah to suffer with a reticent date, so with intent to move things forward she looped her arm confidently through Helena’s, physical contact engaged. 

“Should I start?” She asked, casually as she could. 

Helena’s walk had slowed until they stopped at her instigating question. Dinah let go of the arm and stepped around in front so they were facing each other, frowning when the wind blew her hair a little too much the other way before combing it aside.   
  


“Um… I still don’t really know what to say to be honest,” Helena looked apologetic and confused when she said it, hands steadfast in her pockets. Dinah understood: the woman had told herself Dinah was off-limits, and now Dinah had shown up and kissed her with a proclamation that Helena was most welcome to trespass what she always thought was forbidden. 

“I’ll start… I haven’t had a serious relationship since Oliver, we broke it off two and a half years ago… But, Helena, I  _ have  _ dated and even on occasion slept with women as well as men. I had a closeted girlfriend when I was 21...”

The reaction she got was as expected: Helena looked utterly astonished. 

“You,” Helena was emotionless now as she spoke, “you’ve been with other women.” 

Dinah couldn’t tell if she was happy or upset about that. 

“Is that okay?”

Helena grimaced and whispered, “okay? Is it okay?”

Guilt overcame her when Helena yelled next, her temper flaring with this news. 

“No I don’t think it is! You  _ never _ told me!”

“We never talk about those things - you have never told me either!”

“You’re -!” 

She waited for Helena to finish, but the woman scowled and stormed away from her, pacing the beach toward the water in her anger before returning a few steps later, a finger pointed and more yelling. 

“You’re telling me that if I had told you how I felt sooner we could have done  _ this _ sooner!”

Dinah couldn’t help the sad smile on her face as she answered gently, “You’re telling me.” 

It was quiet again and, while the anger was still showing on Helena’s face, her voice no longer yelled when she said, “I kind of hate myself right now.” 

Dinah gave a shrug, “The past is over, Helena. We can’t be upset about missed opportunities.”

“Yeah I… guess not. Still hurts to know.” 

Seeing Helena concede her point, Dinah grabbed her arm again, looping it with her own and continuing their walk. 

“Come on. Let’s have our first date now, walking on this beach. We can make each other laugh and kiss goodnight.” 

“Fine,” Helena walked with her, frown still in place. But Dinah felt her arm and body shift from the mention of a ‘kiss’ and all frustrations of being blind to one another for this kind of intimacy passed them. At least now they were on the same page. 

“You ever date a guy?” Dinah asked her, reaching down to coax Helena’s hand out of a pocket and interlace their fingers. To her delight, Helena allowed it to happen naturally. 

“Ew, no,” Helena twisted her face in disgust before back-tracking, “Not that there’s anything wrong with you if you like guys too…”

Dinah leaned into her shoulder with a fond smile, laughing and enjoying the way Helena blocked the breeze from hitting her face or hair too hard. Dating someone a little taller definitely was going to have it’s perks. 

“So how’s um, how’s your tour going with all this reunion shit?” Helena changed the topic to something more comfortable and Dinah let questions of her romantic history go. She wanted to know more, but there would be plenty of time for that later, she was sure of it. 

//

The sun was setting as Helena walked her to her car. The breeze was getting colder from the ocean now, but the shivers she was feeling were entirely from the hand holding. 

Helena was  _ nervous _ . Dinah had never seen her like this, skittish and entirely unsubtle with the fidgeting of her feet and suddenly sweaty hand. 

The calm from the beach had dissipated - and it was with amused realization Dinah saw Helena watching her lips as she went through her nervous tics.

“So,” Helena coughed into her free hand and looked beyond Dinah to her car, as if eye contact would make her lose her cool. Dinah didn’t know how to tell her she was anything but cool in that moment. 

“ _ So _ ,” Dinah drawled patiently, swinging their arms a little, encouraging. 

“Let’s um, do this - ” a tiny voice crack when Helena finally caught her eyes, “again sometime?”

“This?”

“Yeah, you know…  _ this _ .” Helena ducked her chin again, too embarrassed to keep eye contact. 

“Hold hands by my car while you stutter and sweat?”

Helena closed her eyes in frustration and dropped Dinah’s hand, crossing her arms indignantly, “You’re enjoying this.” 

“You’re adorable,” Dinah moved in, throwing her arms smoothly around Helena’s tense shoulders. 

The warmth of Helena’s body calmed her, and she leaned her head forward to press a kiss against her pink cheek. She loved seeing that reaction - it stirred things inside of her, not least of all flattery and desire. 

“For someone I’ve always seen as fearless,” Dinah whispered against her lips next, mesmerized by the sunsetting in Helena’s darkening eyes, “You’re being pretty timid to ask me out again.” 

Helena exhaled, dropping her arms to tentatively return the embrace and circle Dinah’s waist.

“Maybe… maybe I’m still wondering if you dating me is a dream and any moment I’ll wake - ”

Dinah knew where she was going with that sentence, and she knew Helena was not making flattery for sappy romantic attempts, but rather just admitting her feelings. She wanted to kiss some sense into her, let know how very real this was. 

Helena fell into her, and her shoulders relaxed when they pulled apart. Dinah felt lips graze her own before she was kissed again, slowly. She could feel so much that has still gone unsaid. Each kiss Helena gave unraveled more and more how she has felt privately for so long. In the house it was all disbelief and hope, and now Dinah could feel the longing and the care. 

She didn’t want to go, and she knew Helena didn’t want her to go either, but when she opened her eyes again she realised the sun had set all the way and tomorrow they would have a recording session bright and early in the morning (the first of the next few week’s schedule for the reunion album and music video redoes). 

“I should go,” she mumbled into Helena’s very soft lips. She knew her reluctance was clear in the way she sighed. 

“Yeah,” Helena cleared her throat and stepped back, giving them some much needed space so they could both function. “Thank you, Dinah.”

Dinah cocked her brow playfully. She could feel her own nerves battling around in her stomach and tried to play them off. What gave her heart the permission to beat so damn fast. 

“Thank you, Helena, I’ll see you in the morning.” Her voice was alien to her own ears, shy and sappy. 

“See you. Um, goodnight,” Helena was rubbing her neck and smiling, like she couldn’t believe Dinah was there. She looked giddy, and Dinah hoped she knew the feeling was mutual. 

“Night.” DInah opened her car door and then looked over her shoulder for one more glance before getting in. “Yes, by the way. We are definitely doing that again.” 

With the sun set, she was unable to see the blush on Helena’s cheeks from her suggestion but she could feel it. 

“All of it,” Dinah clarified - the hand holding, the walking, the talking… the kissing. 

Helena looked speechless. 

“And hopefully more,” Dinah ended with a wink. She got in her sports car and revved the engine before taking off back to her own place for the night. 

Twenty minutes later when she was back home all ready for bed, a text message from Helena, short and swee, illuminated her phone’s screen. 

_ I enjoyed our time together. Please let me know when you get home.  _

Dinah contemplated sending Helena a picture of her current state of dress - a silky negligee, one of many free luxury clothing items she was sent. She decided against it, maybe it was too much too soon. 

_ I’m home _ , was what she sent back, followed by a kissy face emoji and,  _ thank you for being the best first date.  _

She only had to wait for a minute before she got her reply. 

_ You were my best date too. I can’t wait to see you again.  _

Even with no one around, Dinah grabbed a pillow to pull over her face and muffle her giddy squeal into the fabric. 

Then with renewed confidence she angled her camera phone so there was a clear shot of the navy blue lacy cut by her thighs, exposing her bare legs for Helena to see. She would send a boob pic another time, for now she would start with legs. 

The photo attachment was sent with a message of _Hope this helps you sleep better until I_ _see you in the morning, H. night night xoxo_

She received no response, and after a few minutes wondered if she broke Helena. Then her phone screen lit up. 

_ That is not going to help me sleep at all.  _

Dinah smiled victoriously to herself and closed her eyes, her mind replaying the most amazing kisses until she fell asleep, eager for morning to come so she could see Helena again. 

///

Dinah was the last to arrive at the studio for the first reunion session. That was because Renee had found her in the parking lot, offering her a coffee and a half-assed apology before making her meet the head of marketing who had seriously fucked up with the press tour schedule for Birds Of Prey and double-booking her to film a skin care ad on their busiest Saturday. 

She entered the studio, and all annoyance vanished when she walked in on Helena singing her verse to ‘Baby It’s You,’ a cover song that had been one of their top ten hits of all time. The album was just a re-recording of their ten greatest hits, only one music video confirmed so far (which may increase).

But this song being the first one they recorded was special.

The Shirelles had been a favourite girl-band of Dinah’s her entire life: she started her singing habit to the tune of their elegant songs. When the Birds Of Prey became a group and were introduced to one another, their very first bonding experience had been singing karaoke to this song. A song they all loved, which was what encouraged them to make a cover for it and pay homage to a girl group before their time. 

Dinah had heard it in jazz bars and lounges where she waitressed, had sung it in showers to herself before becoming famous, had belted it out with her bandmates on many drunken nights in their tour bus or hotel rooms while jumping on the bed, in the recording studio with laughter, on stage during tours to their fans who sang it with them, on Renee’s cool antique record player with the classic record as they tipped back whiskey…

But nothing came close to hearing those familiar words from Helena’s smooth modulation. For someone who claimed they were out of practice, Helena sounded better than a lot of the singers on this label Dinah had walked in on - raw and without autotune. Her eyes were closed as she hit the familiar words, all contralto and high notes sounding practically pitch perfect. 

Dinah had been singing for so long, she couldn’t remember the last time another voice had given her pause like this. 

“Nice!” Their album producer, Ellen Yee, sounded enthusiastic when Helena finished. “I don’t even think we’ll need more than that!”

Helena had since opened her eyes and removed the headphones on her ears in the booth. Dinah was watching her from the glass, and smiled when Helena caught her eyes and smiled back instantly. 

Helena stepped out of the booth. Her short hair looked damp as if she’d washed it that morning, and she had come to the studio in blue jeans and a purple hoodie. Dinah’s gaze gravitated to her lips like a magnet, replaying the feeling of them pressing against her own for what felt like the millionth time. 

“Hey,” she saw the effect her greeting had, darkened pupils and reddening cheeks as Helena closed the door behind her. 

“Hey,” her voice was rough from it’s singing exertion, and that made it unbearably sexy. 

“That was great Helena,” Zinda complimented before standing up from where she had been sitting on a couch and listening. “I’m next?”

Ellen gave her a nod, “Yeah two minutes.” 

Helena didn’t verbally respond to Zinda but did look her way and give a quick nod of acknowledgement. Zinda smiled and looked down at her cellphone. 

“For someone who’s out of practice you sure don’t sound it,” Dinah teased her when they were close. 

Helena’s eyes sparkled back at her, enjoying her attention. 

“Dinah you’re up after Zinda, Barbara already went. Then we can go over things again, the chorus part where you all pitch in together.” Ellen then turned to Zinda and told her she was good to start. 

Zinda was talented as she went through her part with relative ease, Dinah grooved her head a bit. While not as mesmerized as when she had watched Helena, Zinda was talented. 

There was a reason they had once been selected out of hundreds of thousands of girls for their shot at fame. 

“You get a good sleep?” Dinah turned her attention from Zinda’s singing to throw a coy smile at her… whatever Helena was now. She was no longer just a ‘super attractive friend,’ or ‘friend who Dinah discovered liked her for ten years.’ 

Helena was predictable in her nervous reaction, combing her damp hair back with her fingers and attracting all the blood vessels to her cheeks. 

However, she was surprisingly smooth and playful when she replied in a low whisper, “Is dating you going to involve a lot of photos like that? Don’t you think I’ve been tortured enough for ten years of looking and not touching?”

Dinah’s eyes have, quite possibly, never been wider. Who knew Helena could flirt after all. 

“Damn, Bertinelli,” She gave a well-earned look of respect, “You have more game than I gave you credit for.” 

Helena scoffed at her, arms crossed. “You’re not the first girl to tell me I’m a great kisser.”

Dinah looked around them, knowing their hushed tones were for their ears only but still paying mind. “So modest, and so early in the morning too…”

The question, though, was who were these other girls that Helena had kissed? She didn’t really want to know, yet she also really, really wanted to know. Her relationship with the other woman had never involved much discussion in those arenas at all, or ever, and Helena had been quick to change the topic on the beach last night. 

“I never said you were a great kisser,” Dinah murmured back, aware their shoulders were touching now because they were leaning closer and closer. 

Helena was about to reply to her, eyes fixed on her, until Ellen and Renee were clapping and they realised Zinda was done and exiting the booth. 

Dinah smiled at her friend and gave her a high-five, “We still got it!”

Zinda high-fived her and went back to sit by herself on the couch, clearly not about to stay too close to Helena even though they were amicable. 

With a wink to the woman she had made out with last night, Dinah whispered quietly, “You were great.”

Dinah took her turn in the booth and effortlessly sung her designated part, including more power-vocals and rifts. When it was her turn to sing ‘it’s not the way you kiss that tears me apart’ she couldn’t help but look through the glass at Helena. She revelled in the redness colouring cheeks before her attention went back to follow Ellen’s direction of hand gestures for holding a longer note. 

//

“Social media numbers are high! Fuck yeah!” Renee addressed the room, her excitement was due to the success of their reunion announcement - even if it had been projected ahead of time. Worldwide trending on twitter, highest tag on Instagram, old videos on YouTube tripling in views overnight, and too many interview requests to handle. 

“Keep posting on your accounts ladies, data suggests articles talking about your friendships are among the highest searched,” Barbara’s agent ordered. 

Barbara had already posted a selfie of all of them in the studio that morning, millions of likes in minutes. 

“Bertinelli you should get an Instagram or Twitter or whatever the fuck,” Renee addressed Helena next, the only social media-averse person in the room. 

“No thanks,” Helena was leaning on the conference table, cheek cradled in her palm in sheer boredom. 

When Barabara returned to the studio and Dinah finished her part, they were taken to a conference room with their agents who heckled over the music video schedule. Now that Dinah had her Saturday fixed on the skincare commercial, the agents were doing their typical strong-arming for times as if their clients didn’t exist in the room. Helena had zoned out, closing her tired eyes and keeping quiet while Barbara updated them on Dick’s asshole lawyer. 

Dinah chuckled, amused with Helena’s stand. Their eyes met and she saw the twinkle in Helena’s eyes, clearly pleased she had been able to make Dinah laugh once again. 

“Come on!” Renee pleaded, “do you know what the most searched topic is right now?”

“Dinah’s bra size,” Zinda was twirling her hair as she jested. “No wait, her ethnic origin.” 

“If Zinda prefers cats, lizards, or dogs!” Dinah said right back, giggling. “Or your sexuality!” 

They laughed louder, having always loved poking fun at what people liked to gossip about. 

“If Dinah’s hair is real,” Barbara offered her own, cackling. 

“Oh please, people think my blonde hair is more real than your fucking fire engine red.” 

“Hey!” Barbara hit her thigh but laughed harder, loving the jokes (too many headlines called her a ‘fiery redhead’). 

“How many rings does Dinah wear and what do they mean?” Zinda held up her phone, “I shit you not Dinah. This one is legit!” 

They all fell into their laughter at the absurdity of the internet, even Helena was chuckling. It was almost too easy, falling into old jokes, old mischief and banter, as if their falling out was a bad dream that never really happened. 

“You’re all wrong,” Renee rolled her eyes at their childish antics. 

As their mirth quietened down, Renee quirked her eyebrow. She had never seen Dinah like this before. Dinah was always all business and ready to make it to the top. Laughter suited her. 

Zinda’s agent took over to deliver the news to the girls. 

“Helena is.” 

he opened up a tabloid paper with a front page titled ‘ _ The Birds Of Prey Reunion Shows Us Huntress: The Businesswoman, Net Worth, Rumoured Relationships’ _

Dinah turned a wicked smile to Helena, “aw, H, you’re famous!”

“Ugh,” Helena snatched the paper from Zinda’s agent and frowned before resigning to read it. 

Where Dinah had found this highly amusing and not surprising (after all Helena had been out of headlines in the last ten years and considered a has-been. Fans were surprised and loved the mystery of her business and reluctance to continue in the entertainment industry until now). 

_ And she was crazy gorgeous _ , Dinah thought, smiling as Helena squinted her eyes at the article with distaste.

“There are tons of articles and searches wanting to know about you the most,” Renee continued. “You should capitalize with social media.” 

Helena closed the paper and tossed it back, “Nope.” 

“Lunch!” Her angel of an assistant, Alistor, breezed into the conference room and dropped off her meal of the day, interrupting the stare down between Renee and Helena. 

Zinda and Barabara’s assistants showed up not long after, leaving their boss’s lunches. Dinah turned her attention to Helena who was still looking bored out of her mind. 

“Want some of mine, H?”

Helena looked to her in surprise, jolting out of her stupor. “Huh? Oh, is this from that personal chef you’re always on about?”

“Yes,” Dinah moaned into a bite of her quiche and slid it over, encouraging Helena to have a bite. “Try it.”

Helena looked tempted but ultimately declined with a polite shake of her head.

“Still full from Risotto?” Dinah teased her, alluding to the food they ate last night. 

“I had a big breakfast. Thanks though.” Helena’s face was red, and thankfully no one seemed to notice. 

“Who’s your personal chef, Di?” Barbara asked her and they talked about food while the agents talked about schedules. 

“I’m fucking starving,” Renee announced when it had been sorted out.

“All sorted? I have choreography soon,” Dinah reminded the agents. 

“Yep. So this week and next week every morning six until noon recording. Next week Wednesday all day is the music video shoot for ‘Wannabe,’ the label wants the video out on YouTube before the month is over so everything is packed tight. This Saturday is the label party, so we can’t book anything after your commercial.”

“Fuck,” Dinah groaned, just thinking of the exhaustion of that week was too much already, “I have choreography every fucking day next week, Renee, - including that Wednesday. All  _ day _ . I’m touring next month! I thought we all agreed that would be the weekend after this one?”

“Sorry Lance, I know it's going to be tight but if anyone can pull it off it’s you.”

“Tight? This is going to be fucking compact-vaccumed! How are we going to - we haven’t even fully worked out more than half of the songs!”

“We move your choreography sessions for after lunch and extend them in the evening.” 

Dinah groaned, “You can’t be serious. Why do we need to rush these recording sessions or this music video? I need to  _ sleep  _ at some point!” 

“Shit, can’t we postpone the album until after her tour? That’s going to exhaust her.” Zinda suggested. “And shouldn’t we have the party after the album is finished?”

“No,” Barbara answered what Renee was about to, “they want it promoted at Dinah’s tour, don’t they? So they’re accelerating everything.”

“Yep, show business.” Renee’s admittance stunned them all, they had been initially told they would get the whole month to record not just a week. 

Helena snorted, “Fuck show business. Is this party mandatory?” 

“Yes,” Renee told her. 

Helena made a displeased face. 

“Tell me about it,” Dinah rubbed her face and resigned herself to figuring out her choreography in half the time she was supposed to. That was going to be tough on all of her dancers, too. 

“That’s not fair on Dinah at all,” Helena pointed out, with a bite to her tone. “The label should have planned what they need from us better. If we can’t postpone the music video, can’t we postpone some of the sessions to make time for her? And do it later?”

“Dinah is going to be on tour for four months,” Renee shook her head, “the recordings will be done and the album can be produced and edited for release during her tour…”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Zinda stood up, interrupting everyone with hands on her hips. “Don’t tell me we are touring with her, that was  _ never  _ discussed!”

“Yes we are,” Barbara cut Zinda off. “She’s going to close the show with us and ‘wannabe…’ I just found out upstairs while you guys were recording.”

Barbara’s delivery was uncannily ironic, a reminder of so many times she found out things before them. In fact, she probably gave the go-ahead to catch as much fire from Dinah as she could. Dinah didn’t fault her for it, but she could see the fury in Zinda’s eyes. Zinda did not want to be singing one mesly closing song on Dinah’s tour, and Dinah would probably feel the same if the roles were reversed. It would take away time and focus from her own album and career. 

“Fuck you, Barbara!” Zinda yelled at her, “You don’t get to decide these things, we all should get to decide these things!”

“I just contracted a big project - commercial property development,” Helena said, agreeing with Zinda’s anger as she stood up from her chair and faced the agents with a pointed scowl. “I can’t be out of touch with that for four months!” 

“ _ And _ we undermine having a future Birds Of Prey tour by closing for mine! I thought that was what you needed from us?” Dinah added, turning her ire to Barbara.

“Dinah - ” 

“Let me get this straight - I’m going to be burned out and therefore delivering a half-assed tour, Zinda doesn’t deserve her career to become second strong to mine, and Helena has a business to run but once again you’ve gone ahead and put your needs in front of the band. What the hell, Babs! We are only doing this to help you in the first place!” 

Barbara was clearly affronted with the anger coming at her, disclaiming her fault in the matter to them, “it’s in our contracts that executives have promotional control! I didn’t do anything you guys, I swear!” 

“Look Lance, it saves you some choreography - same choreography for the music video and the ending number,” Renee’s attempt to soothe her was pathetic and from the look on her face they both knew it. “I’m sorry, kid… my hands were tied. This came from Mr. Keo himself.”

Mr. Keo was the label’s head honcho, and hearing that took some of the frustration Dinah and Zinda held for Barbara out of their voice. 

“Look I don’t mind being the one to give it my all, but my dancers? What do I tell them?” 

Renee gave her a helpless shrug. 

“Let’s figure this out,” Helena was the one to surprise them all with an even tone. “Dinah, what if you can divide your dancers into two groups - so they don’t have to learn every single song?” 

After some thinking, Dinah saw her point could work. Even though she was still pissed she gave an agreeable smile, “that’s actually not a bad idea, Helena… thanks.”

“I need to take a walk,” Zinda was still looking rightfully pissed off and ready to leave, but to everyone’s surprise Helena moved between her and the door, blocking her. 

Helena looked back and forth between her and Barbara before taking. 

“You guys can’t… you can’t get me to agree to this after all the shit I’ve put up with over the years and not see it through. We could always do something for your tour after Dinah’s, Zinda. And Barbara didn’t do anything. This is just that same bullshit we had to put up with back then, are we really surprised?”

Zinda relented her anger, giving Helena a shrug, “you’re right, H.”

She hadn’t called Helena ‘H’ in ten years and Helena relaxed. A lot of her pent up anger at Barbara and Zinda seemed to be leaving her system lately. 

Dinah stood up and threw her arm over Zinda’s shoulder, “If you ladies are part of my tour, you get a bigger cut of sales too, you know…” 

Zinda perked up a little, “Well, fuck off with your Grammy’s I’ll take some of that dough, Lance.” 

Barbara walked over to join the mini huddle too, throwing an arm over Zinda’s other shoulder to mirror Dinah. “I swear, I would never make any decisions without consulting you guys first. I actually overheard Keo talking to our agents upstairs, that’s the only reason I know. They were about to tell us themselves and I wanted to hear the whole schedule before jumping to conclusions....”

The four women gave their sheepish agents a pointed look and Dinah reached out to grab Helena’s arm so that even though she wasn’t in the Zinda sandwich, she was still a part of their mutual understanding as a team. 

Alistor knocked on the open door and entered, “Dinah! Derek is losing his shit, it’s passed one o’clock!” 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Dinah let go of Zinda after one more squeeze and sighed. “We good? I’ll see you ladies in the morning…”

“Bye Di,” Zinda punched her arm. 

As she left the room, her hand was still holding Helena’s forearm and she tugged the woman with her out of the room. “Helena, come on!”

She didn’t particularly care what everyone might think of her tugging Helena away with her, and after a few strides she let go of Helena's arm. Alistor was far enough ahead of them so that he wouldn’t hear her. He led them down the staircase which was a lot faster than the elevators. 

“You surprised me with what you said to Zinda back there,” she glanced back, having advanced a few steps past Helena.

“We have a responsibility,” came the nonchalant reply. “And you have the hardest work out of all of us. Best if we work together to get it done quickly.”

Dinah shrugged back at her and for a quick moment she took note of how Alistor had left them in the stairwell with a door swinging behind him.

No one was around, so she made her move. 

Dinah tugged Helena in by the front pocket of her hoodie, pressing her back against a wall and smiling before kissing her the way she had wanted to since hearing Helena sing in the morning. 

Helena met her with more ease and less nerves this time, one palm resting on the wall above Dinah’s head as she leaned down, the other rested at her hip. 

Dinah reached up to cup Helena’s neck and deepen their preliminary kiss with another, mashing her lips to Helena’s with a fervor that was new to both of them. 

“You’re going to be late,” Helena gasped when they needed to stop for air, noses nuzzling in a gentle way unlike their shared kiss. 

“Why don’t you stay,” Dinah requested, pushing off the wall and tugging Helena through the doors before letting go of her hand as they neared the dance studio. “When was the last time you danced?”

“It’s been too long,” Helena admitted, eyes falling on the glass doors of the dance studio and the people inside. 

Dinah suddenly realised that this was the same record label they had all been in when younger and while she had long since gotten used to the changes of the building and was never here unless it was for music or dancing, Helena was back for the first time in a decade and was having a lot of memories resurface. 

She had always loved dancing. 

Helena’s wistful eyes reminded her of all the times they used to be here. That very stairwell they just kissed in was the one they used to play flip-cup in, secretly giggling when Barbara would make a face at the vodka they managed to sneak in for late nights. They used to spend so much time in this building, and that was a lifetime ago. 

“Everything’s been remodelled but this is the exact same. I loved it here.” Helena’s breath fogged the glass a bit as she spoke, and Helena bit her lip to stop herself from smiling too widely. Dinah used that moment to use the hair tie on her wrist and put her hair in a ponytail, willing her mind away from illicit thoughts.

Alistor was suddenly at the glass, tapping it while his eyes urgently implored her to get her ass inside where Derek was already yelling. Dinah groaned and opened the door. 

“Come on H, stay for a bit?” She tugged Helena inside with her and waved to all of her dancers, “Hi everyone! I am so sorry, my meeting ended later than I thought it would.”

“We have no time to waste,” Derek clucked his tongue before suspiciously eyeing Helena. “Who is this?”

“This is Helena,” Dinah said, unzipping her hoodie so she was only in her leggings and sports bra. “My old bandmate from Birds Of Prey.” 

Some of the dancers looked excited, and Dinah smirked. Derek was unimpressed. 

Helena leaned back against the glass and nodded at some shy waves from the dancers. She resigned herself to watch.

“Before we start Derek, I got some news you all need to hear,” Dinah addressed her team. 

“Dinah we really need to be on schedule, we have only a month to prepare.”

Dinah explained, her tone full of the apology, “Mr. Keo is fast-tracking our Birds Of Prey album and the tour is going to close with a number. That means I have to be recording all week and on top of everything - our choreography schedule is getting cut back and pressed for time.”

The anger from Derek was the loudest and Dinah rolled her eyes as he dramatically kicked a water bottle and paced the studio before dramatically declaring he would still pull off the most perfect choreography. Dinah explained her decision, the one Helena had suggested, to split up the songs so dancers weren’t too burnt out. 

They deliberated and split up the team evenly, sorting out an all-male number and all-female number for different songs. Dinah felt bad that she had dragged Helena to watch some dancing and the girl had yet to see any, but anytime she glanced back she found that those eyes were watching her with her team and held nothing but fondness and patience. 

Dinah awarded her a wink, and finally they went through the first number with her song ‘Fighter’ playing. Dinah showed off for Helena, putting extra motion in her hips and catching the reflection of her admiration through the mirror that reflected her and her dancers as they moved. 

“Excellent Dinah,” Dereka commented before addressing the dancers with some minor corrections. Dinah took the water Alistor held out for her and approached Helena, leaning against the glass beside her and offering a shoulder nudge. 

“So?”

“You’re great,” Helena looked to her, a shy and genuine smile on her face. “Beautiful.”

Dinah felt her face grow warm and as she shyly looked down, touched because coming from Helena that meant a lot. “I know we won’t get to spend much time together this week. I was really looking forward to another date, sooner the better.” 

Helena nudged her back, “I know.”

They share a heated look, contributed by Dinah’s thin sheen of sweat and hint of cleavage. Helena was the first to look away. 

“Listen, I really got to get to work, Dinah… Dave keeps calling me. I wish I could stay longer...”

“Fine, go run your business,” Dinah took another sip of her water and watched Helena push off so they were toe to toe, wishing she could kiss her again. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow morning again.” Helena promised. 

Not caring who saw it, Dinah pulled her into a quick hug and kissed a cheek before stepping back. “Hate to see you go but love to watch you leave.”

Helena flushed and covered her face in bashful embarrassment, “Seriously, Dinah.”

“Go on, get out of here,” she tapped her water bottle to Helena’s arm and watched her reach for the door handle, head shaking in amusement. Dinah loved that smile, loved the way Helena got flustered for her. 

She allowed herself a yearning sigh as Helena disappeared, wishing she had more time from her schedule so she could kiss longer than ten seconds in a stairwell. Fucking show business. 

With her biggest distraction gone, Dinah admittedly got a lot more work done than she thought she would. 

///

  
  


Dinah had long since become used to getting the most outlandish attention on a red carpet. Tonight she was wearing a gold sequined gown by her favourite designer Arthur Curry, showing off the hourglass in her figure and a sexy backless take on how slutty you can be without being slutty. 

Paparazzi were flashing her like crazy, and some fans were screaming out by the fence, waving posters of her latest album. She had signed most of them before security pulled her back. There was even crying. It was always an overwhelming experience to know her songs, her celebrity, had such an impact that people would cry in her presence. 

She understood them just a little bit more that evening when she saw Helena approaching her from the red carpet with a chatty Dave talking her ear off in his nice cream suit, a man she could only assume was his boyfriend clutching his arm in a pale blue one and laughing at whatever he was saying. Helena mentioned she would be bringing them along since Dave was ‘not totally fucking up lately’ as Helena had to cut down some time at work for the album. 

Helena looked incredible, spine straight and hair pinned back behind her ears as she walked forward with her long strides. She was dressed in black, again, but tastefully so. Long sleeves covered in lace, her dress stopped above her knees and showed off her legs. The same lace pattern on her sleeves covered her chest and neck, and her makeup was on fleek. Dinah felt weak in her knees when their eyes met and Helena seemed to be effortlessly cool, coming to stand with her as Paparazzi went crazy taking more pictures. 

Privately Helena was a flustered disatters, but here on this red carpet she glided in like a seasoned shark taking to water. 

They were all supposed to meet on the red-carpet of their reunion party tonight, and finally some more chatter and screams of excitement proved Barbara and Zinda were walking down to join them. 

“Dave won’t fucking shut up,” Helena said, tucking some flyaway hair behind her ear as she posed for the cameras. DInah was transfixed by the long diamond earring that glittered in the lights and wanted to lean forward and press her lips to that jawline. 

“He looks like he’s having the time of his life,” Dinah giggled, louder than she meant because she was nervous. 

“MARRY ME DINAH!” A fan was screaming, trying to throw himself over the fence until security pushed him back. 

Helena gave her an eye-roll, “can’t say I’ve missed this part too much.” 

“Don’t be jealous,” Dinah gave her a coy smile, enjoying the way Helena gulped. 

They made their way inside the party after way too many press photos as a band. Dinah was finally able to release a breath.

“I’m getting something to drink, what would you like?” Helena had stayed by her side, not too close, but for all sense and purposes her beautiful date for the evening. It was thrilling - no one knew what they had between them, to the crowd they looked like celebrity gal pals, but inside Dinah wanted to kiss her. 

It was too soon for public knowledge, they had agreed to take things slow with all the pressure of the album and Dinah’s tour. To truly understand what connection they shared without the current public craze and media frenzy interfering in their budding relationship. She had imagined a second date would be more private, but with their hectic schedules it was the closest they were going to get for a while. 

“White wine, please,” she followed Helena to the nearest open bar. The swanky hotel venue booked for the album announcement had two - one on each end - and Dinah felt the calm of her evening disrupted as, of course, Dick Grayson of all people had to show up at the same one. 

“Dinah,” He greeted her politely before his tone to Helena revealed all his hesitations, “H-Helena. Hey. Long time.” 

He looked dashing in his tux, every bit the movie star. Barbara told them Dick would be attending, and the gorgeous woman on his arm Kory who he had cheated with would be too. It was agreed by their publicists and lawyers because while Dick was getting all the money, Barbara was getting all of the public’s sympathy and it was affecting his image a lot. Apparently if she let them both attend to help public opinion with her display of ‘acceptance’ Dick would relinquish 50% of his assets back to her, including Barbara’s favourite beach house. 

Dinah decided in that moment, that it didn’t matter what it looked like, she grabbed Helena’s very tense arm with her own and leaned into her side for support. 

“Dick, you really had to be such a dick, huh?” She smiled brightly through her teeth before taking a long sip of her wine, but the ice in her tone caused him to wince. 

“Always telling it like it is, Dinah.” He looked apologetic and eyed the way Dinah was clinging to Helena with curiosity. “Can I… Helena, can I talk to you for a minute, please? Alone?”

Helena’s answer was immediate as she looked past him like he didn’t exist, “If you want to apologise, make it quick. I don’t really see the need to talk alone…” 

Dick looked heartbroken at her rebuff, but he apparently respected her enough to say in front of Dinah and Kory, “I am sorry I kissed you and lied to Barbara about it… I was an idiot and… I ruined my relationship with Barbara long before we divorced. It means a lot that you all agreed to let me and Kory come here.”

“Sure Grayson, whatever helps you sleep at night. You knew how Barbara felt about you and you used her… you ever hurt her again and I’ll end you.” To Dinah’s surprise it was Helena who defended Babs, a harsh glare at her former friend.

“Fair enough,” He was startled but accepted the warning. 

“And you, Kory, you sure you want to be with this piece of shit?”

Kory looked surprised but schooled her face, “Helena, that’s - he’s not that guy anymore.” 

With a scoff, Helena tugged Dinah by the hand and led them to a standing cocktail table, “Thing with actors is they’re always playing a part. Even off camera.”

Dinah stared at her as she fumed. 

“What?” Helena asked, self-consciously wondering if she had said too much. 

“Nothing.” 

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“You still care about Barbara, threatening him like that...”

Helena shrugged, “she was one of my best friends, Dinah. Her and Zinda. Of course I fucking care.” 

//

“God I am so tired,” Dinah sipped on her second drink of the night. “I need a coffee.”

A lot of executives kept them occupied after that, greeting and mingling. The exhaustion of non-stop days, early morning and late night was making Dinah grumpy. Mr. Keo had them all pose one too many times with his daughter, to top it off. 

“Why don’t we sneak out of here, the party is in full swing, we did our contractual photos on the red carpet and showed up… it’s just going to be another hour of this.” Zinda’s suggestion had them all very keen. 

“Ugh yes,  _ please _ .” Barbara tossed back the rest of her martini, wincing at the taste. “I’m barely keeping it together with Dick and Kory here. I have to keep reminding myself the beach house is worth this torture.” 

Helena snorted but otherwise said nothing. 

“Fuck it,” Dinah made the decision for all of them. “Let’s call it a night.”

They all snuck out the front and Zinda and Barbara conspiratorially giggled as the night air greeted them. 

“What are you two giggling about?” Dinah leaned close for Helena’s body warmth, blinking at them in suspicion and covering the yawn that escaped her mouth. 

“The cinnamon!” Barbara breathed out in laughter, clutching her stomach that was clearly hurting from how hard she was laughing. 

The security guards by the door looked absolutely confused as the women all burst into simultaneous laughter, even Helena. Cinnamon, their code for marijuana. Zinda had always been a little bigger on the stuff and it was their code word on tour. There were too many fond memories of chanting it, giggling while high on it…

Dinah’s limo arrived and they all got inside together without hesitation. 

“I want some fucking McDonalds,” Zinda, who they all knew now was high as a kite, giggled. 

“I am way too tired,” Dinah complained to her. 

“Let’s get it delivered,” Barbara mumbled drunkenly into her phone, “to your place Zin.” 

“Sure, sure. Helena you in?”

Helena covered a yawn of her own, “No I’m going to turn in too.” 

Zinda smiled widely at her, clearyl elated Helena had spoken to her at all. This week she had been a whole lot less hostile. 

Dinah’s limo dropped them off at Zinda’s place and she felt her eyes slip closed before she was gently nudged awake. 

“What, did I fall asleep? Fuck, sorry, H.”

Helena shook her head, softly assuring her, “Don’t be sorry. You’ve had the longest week out of all of us. Your assistant told me you're hardly getting four hours a night and not enough food…”

Dinah reached out to hold Helena’s hand, her thumb brushing against the healing burn on Helena’s palm.

“I wish I wasn’t so tired, we haven’t had any time together alone this week except stolen moments in a stairwell.” 

Helena gripped her hand and urged Dinah out of the car, “Come on.”

“Wait, you’re not going home?” Dinah stepped out and realised they were outside her place, not Helena’s. 

“By the time we go to mine and back - it’s outside of the city. I thought I could sleep here? Just sleep, in your guest room or something so you can rest’”

Dinah’s face softened at the considerate gesture and she nodded. Bidding her driver goodnight, she led the way into her house and closed the door as Helena quietly glided in behind her. They kicked their heels off and Dinah tugged further Helena inside by the hand. She was doing that a lot these days. 

“Where’s Tweety?” Helena asked her, noticing no barking from the terrier was there to greet them.

“I’m hardly home right now, so I put him in Doggy Spa for the month. He loves being pampered, the little shit,” Dinah turned to Helena and reached out with her hands for contact. 

Helena seemed to realise they were both alone, and accepted the hands offered to her with a soft grip, standing chest to chest with Dinah. 

“Hi,” Dinah said, finally feeling free to gawk. 

“Hey.” Helena’s lashes fluttered as she glanced down at Dinah’s lips, her mouth parting in want. 

“You look really hot tonight.”

“Thanks. You look - I like your dress, and your face. I mean - ” Helena cringed. 

Dinah leaned in to reward her thoughtful companion with a kiss. 

Like every kiss they shared, it introduced a second.

“You’re so adorable - ” Dinah nipped a lip and sucked in a quick breath, “ - and sexy.” 

Helena groaned, hungry as she kissed Dinah back. Her lips appreciated eloquently where her words had failed to. She left Dinah breathless and dizzy, heart hammering. 

Dinah hummed as their kiss slowed down, still exhausted. “I really wish I had the energy.”

“I didn’t come here for that,” Helena promised her, tucking her chin on top of Dinah’s head and inhaling her as they hugged. Dinah could fall asleep right there, she was becoming convinced Helena was the perfect woman. 

“I would really like it if you slept with me in my bed tonight. Not a guest room. Just to sleep.” Dinah requested, yawning into a shoulder. 

“Yeah - um, s-sure!” The nervous stutter was back and Dinah  _ really _ wished she had the energy. She tightened her hug and sighed. “This s’nice.” 

“Let’s go sleep,” Helena encouraged, aware that Dinah was close to passing out. 

Dinah led the way to her bedroom, even though Helena knew where it was (the woman had personally overseen every inch of construction after all). 

“You want something to sleep in?” Dinah gestured her chin towards her elaborate walk-in closet, removing her various signature pieces of jewelry and depositing them by her designated jewelry table. 

Helena nodded and headed into the closet. 

“Right hand side, bottom.”

“Found it, can I wear this?”

Dinah saw what she had grabbed and held up, a black cotton set. “Go for it! You can use the shower or bathroom first if you want.”

As Helena got changed in the bathroom, Dinah quickly put on the sexiest nightgown she could find, an ivory negligee. Even if they were only sleeping, she could still have her fun and give Helena a treat. 

The bathroom door opened and Helena was stepping out with her head down, her dress balled up in her arms, “where can I put my - oh.”

Her words stopped short as her eyes realised what Dinah was wearing.

The way Helena’s eyes burned into her, taking in her legs and the shape of her body which her nightgown showed off, Dinah knew she had pushed all the right buttons. Mercilessly, she stepped forward and touched Helena’s shoulder, “You can toss it in the hamper… I’m just going to get ready for bed… The spare toothbrush and other stuff are in the guest suites, if you need.”

Helena swallowed the words that had gotten lost in her throat, gulping tense under Dinah’s hand. 

Dinah closed the door behind her and leaned against it, that giddy feeling returning when she replayed the way Helena had just observed and appreciated her. Quick as she could, she removed her makeup, washed her face, and brushed and flossed. With a final look at her appearance in the mirror, Dinah twirled in the negligee and gave herself a smile before going back outside to the room. To her disappointment, Helena was not yet back. Getting under the covers, Dinah waited. 

When Helena came back, she approached the bed hesitantly. Dinah patiently watched her slide under the covers and lay back against the pillow with her eyes decidedly on the ceiling. 

“I’m sorry, I stared like that,” Helena said after a moment, a whisper into the darkness. 

Dinah turned on her side and reached over to comb her fingers through Helena’s hair. She didn’t want to turn the lights off yet, wanting to stare longer as the comfort of the bed reminded her how exhausted she was from a lack of sleep. 

“I wore this on purpose for you, Helena,” she removed her hand from brown hair to cover her mouth with a yawn. “Don’t be sorry.”

“Oh.” The way she said it, Dinah giggled. 

Tired but determined to get one more kiss, Dinah moved in close. 

Helena was clutching the blanket in her hands like a frightened child until their lips touched. After a brief moment, she cupped the back of Dinah’s head to pull her closer as they kissed. 

Chaste as she could keep their kiss, Dinah rested her weight on her arms by Helena’s head and moved to rest half on top of her. Everything was quiet except for the movement under the blanket as Dinah’s leg fit between Helena’s. Dinah felt her breath stolen from her lungs, and with all of this exhaustion and everything that Helena was, Dinah became abundantly sure this was heaven. 

“I love kissing you, sorry...” Dinah knew she didn’t sound apologetic one bit as she sighed it against Helena’s mouth. 

Helena’s hands moved some of her blonde hair back and they smiled into another, even softer, peck. 

“You should really sleep, Dinah,” Helena helped her move back to rest her head on a pillow and brushed a thumb gently along her cheekbone, turning on her side to face her. 

“Okay,” Dinah closed her eyes instantly, tucking her body closer to Helena’s for warmth. She buried herself in a shoulder and gave into her fatigue. 

“Goodnight, Helena,” hearing a soft ‘goodnight’ whispered back, she was reassured by the careful touch of a gentle hand on her back keeping her close.    
  


  
  



	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Smut. Lots of smut. be warned. 
> 
> Dedicated to The Burps (and to every thirsty motherf*cker who needs it) Thank you stoveek for beta skills!

There was nothing like a restful, calm, pleasant sleep. Dinah sighed, ignoring the background buzzing and snuggling closer into the lulling smell of her fresh sateen sheets, her arms clinging to a pillow and sighing into a haven of rest her body had been denied. The annoying buzzing stopped and just as she was about to slip back into her dreamland, it persisted again even angrier and louder than before.

“Who the fuck is phoning me!” She covered her face with a pillow and all was quiet, but then the phone buzzed again. 

Grumbling, she sat up and glowered at her cellphone on the nightstand where it was cruelly pulsing against the wood. Of course it was Renee. 

With the irritation clear in her voice, she rubbed her eye and answered, “you do realize you woke me up from the only sleep I’ve had for more than four hours in like a month, right? Scratch that, like a year.”

_“Just making sure you remember that a journalist from Black Mask is interviewing you over the phone in an hour.”_

The groan that left Dinah’s throat shared all of her frustration. “I just want to fucking sleep dammit.” 

“ _You mean to say ‘thank you Renee for organizing my talented ass, I don’t know what I would do without you you’re the fucking best,’ right?”_

“I mean to say fuck why did I agree to an interview on a Sunday morning?”

“ _It’s two in the afternoon, Dinah,”_ Renee didn’t sound too impressed yet at the same time snickered at her with mirth. _“I think you got enough sleep. One hour, be ready.”_

“Fuck, I’m up, I’m up,” Dinah slid out of the bed and suddenly remembered that she had not come home alone last night. Helena had slept beside her, calming breaths and comfortable warmth as she let sleep claim her (God that woman smelled really nice and her bony shoulder was more comfortable than it looked). “I got to go Renee.”

Renee made her usual goodbye, a grunt and click of the phone, not one for saying a pleasant ‘bye’ or ‘see you later.’ Renee’s sentimental side only tended to come out when she was through a mickey of scotch. 

Dinah pouted at the utter lack of Helena Bertinelli in her bedroom. Helena must have let herself out since Dinah had been sleeping for so damn long, what a waste of morning cuddles or breakfast.

She went to freshen up in the bathroom, brushing her teeth and humming. Helena hadn’t sent her any text at all, but Dinah decided to call her after the interview. First, coffee. 

Her disappointment was gone the moment her ears connected to a delicate voice, distant but definitely Helena.

_She was still here?_

Dinah grabbed her black and red flowered kimono robe from her closet in a rush, forgetting her house slippers as she quickly descended her stairs and found Helena on her phone, leaning over her kitchen island with an empty espresso cup beside her. 

The taller woman’s body in that position showed the shirt riding up her back and torso, and the way the cotton pajama pants hung low on her hips to accommodate the short length meant for Dinah. There were probably four inches in their height difference, and those four inches had never been so attractive as Helena’s hip bones when she turned around at Dinah’s footsteps and greeted her with a bright smile. 

Dinah’s heart fluttered in her chest. She had never seen Helena smile like that, so unrestrained and powerfully happy. 

“Se… scussasi,” Helena had turned and reached for her with a hand, and Dinah had been too mesmerized to realize how close Helena was until a gentle kiss was laid upon her lips, soundless and soft, and eyes rolled apologetically for being on the phone. “Se… se...a’arripigghiassi a lestu. Bona sirna.” 

Helena hung up her phone then, and left it on the table before two hands were on Dinah’s arms, rubbing up and down, and another kiss was given, this time to her cheek. 

“Good morning, beautiful,” Helena said, her wide smile back again. “Sleep well?”

“You should have woken me up,” Dinah accused, finding her arms naturally curling around Helena’s waist as their body warmth rekindled an intimate fire. “Who were you speaking all sexy to in the morning like that?”

Helena bit her bottom lip when she looked down for clarification, “You found that sexy?”

“Hmmm,” Dinah had to admit it, even if her attraction should be obvious from the way her hands currently explored the four inches of lower back Helena had over her. “You’re so happy, why are you so happy?”

Helena’s cheeks flourished with a red hue Dinah loved being the cause of. Dinah smiled, knowing the answer even before Helena admitted it. Still, hearing it was nice. 

“I woke up with you in my arms,” Helena said softly, her hands lifted from Dinah’s arms to her shoulders, pausing there while the other curled behind her neck and a thumb brushed Dinah’s earlobe in an affectionate caress. “A dream come true.” 

It surprised her that Helena showed confidence and openness with action and words now, when all other kisses or discussions they shared were initiated by Dinah herself. Dinah welcomed it, inhaling sharply when her chin was tilted up for a kiss, noses angled perfectly to fit, lips softer and more inviting than ever before. 

The mint from brushing lingered in her mouth and Helena’s lips had the aftertaste of espresso. It was so domestic it hurt, and everything Dinah had ever dreamed of in a partner seemed to be coming true the more time she spent with Helena. 

“I love kissing you,” Helena drew back, eyes darkening with lust. 

Dinah felt like she was forgetting something important but was unable to think with that _face_ and those _words_ and those fucking come hither _eyes_ and that _everything._

She gripped Helena’s hips and kissed her again, relishing the moan she was able to summon from the other woman’s throat. That was new. 

And _oh her throat_ , Dinah thought before abandoning Helena’s mouth to traverse the muscle on her neck… Helena’s gasps and whimpers indicated how sensitive she was there and Dinah soothed a rough kiss with her tongue before switching sides. 

Her hands gravitated under the cotton shirt, up the soft skin of a smooth back, and then around to tease sensitive ribs. Helena let out a moan even lower than before, two hands holding her hair now as she angled her neck to allow Dinah more acces. 

Dinah nipped Helena’s cute ear before moving back down, sucking and humming at a clavicle the shirt didn’t cover. Who knew collar bones could be so sexy? She must have been torturing Helena with her attention because suddenly her head was gripped with two hands and desperate lips found hers again. 

Helena’s lips slowed their passion down, directing her into a deep rhythm. Breathless pants and the hot smacking of their lips coming together and parting, together, and parting, again and again…Dinah felt hands move over her robe as if Helena was touching her skin and shivered. She needed more. 

She gasped when two hands pulled her kimono apart to reveal what was underneath, the robe slipping down around her shoulders where the elbows caught it. As if reading her mind, hands greedily touched her over the ivory negligee she had worn as a tease to press and relish her fit figure. Her head was spinning and she found herself gripping the hem of Helena’s shirt as they kissed and lifting it, needing it off immediately. The hands on her body relinquished their touch so the shirt could be tossed carelessly aside. 

They were both moaning in agreement when she touched Helena’s breasts as soon as she saw them, kneading them. They were small but perfectly fitted in her palms, and her mouth watered in desire to suck on the erect nipples. She would have as well, if Helena’s hands hadn’t snuck under the hem of her short nightgown to tug at the waistband of her panties and snap them with unspoken permission. 

Dinah broke off their kiss to look up at a flushed face, aware that this was already going in a direction they were helpless to stop. _Better way to wake up than coffee._

“Fuck me.” She was not one to usually request it with a partner, let alone with such gravelly need, but oh did her body need it. 

The view of her mocha skinned hands contrasting Helena’s lighter breasts, the way Helena bit her bottom lip with a delicious tug, begging Dinah for more with her eyes, and the fact that Dinah knew she was so wet and ready were all it took for her to reach down. Her hands and Helena’s hands fumbled until the panties hit the floor of her kitchen, and Dinah kicked them aside (glad Tweetie’s innocence was saved with his timely stay at a doggy spa). 

_Don’t think the word doggy right now Dinah. Fuck._

“You have no idea how many times I’ve fantasized about having you here,” Helena whispered hotly into her ear, hands burning a trail up the outsides of her thighs, raising the ivory fabric of her negligee up slowly until it was over her hips. Dinah whimpered from the cool air greeting her burning skin, her hands digging into Helena’s shoulders when the taller woman gripped the well of her ass. 

A second, louder whimper left her mouth when she was lifted by the grace of a dancer. Her legs fitted easily around a slim waist, and she wrapped her arms around the very neck she had ravaged to stay steady and press closer to warmth. 

With the proof of her arousal touching Helena’s belly button, Helena’s responding whimper and tightening grip had them both tremble for the impending significance of what they were about to do. 

“Tell me,” she begged, because Helena’s voice was doing things to her. She had never been one for dirty talk, but the timber and lust from Helena’s whispers were making her drip and she really needed to hear about what fantasies had tortured her friend. 

She gasped when her back met a wall, rattling the shelves and cupboards from the loud thud. Helena had walked them a few short steps to pin her body up by the doors that led to her backyard, and now the afternoon light was warm and shining directly into brown eyes that Dinah wanted to give _it_ to. _Metaphorically my vagina, literally also my vagina._

It was a passion unlike any other, intense and raw and so real. She saw some hesitation in Helena’s eyes, as if she was afraid to scare Dinah off by sharing her fantasies. 

Helena gasped when Dinah’s hands smoothed over her clavicle to cup her breasts again, thumbs rubbing against her erect nipples. 

“Tell me, Helena,” she practically ordered, “I want to know…”

There was a tense pause and then Helena confessed her sinful imagination. 

“I would be working here...” 

Dinah groaned when she rocked her hips, both feeling wet heat slide against skin. It was not enough friction, and she kissed Helena again before arching up with her body. Her thighs squeezed around the waist to get closer, ankles locked. 

“Fuck,” Helena gasped into her ear at her reaction, before whispering with fervor now that it was clear Dinah was very much not appalled at the idea of being Helena’s pornographic daydream.“Every time I would work here you were always in the fucking pool… fuck, you would be so wet… and your bikini...”

Dinah’s eyes rolled into the back of her head when _fucking finally_ a finger - no, a thumb? - parted her folds and expertly pressed down to make her gasp before poking inside, shallow and mocking Dinah’s arousal with not going inside. 

“Oh God…” she clutched desperately at shoulder blades, her nails clawing so Helena would go deeper. 

“I felt like such a bad friend, violating you in my mind but… it was in my mind right? You would never know…I would think about having you up against this wall…”

The rocking motion pauses and the thumb is gone. 

Dinah has never been so turned on or desperate for an orgasm in her life. 

“Fuck me, Helena, fuck - you can have me right now.” 

Then the nails of one hand dig into her ass cheek and the two fingers of another enter her with little resistance. Dinah bucked her hips, desperate for deeper penetration and the urgent release her body craved. 

Helena’s fingers thrust deep and slow, touching spots Dinah felt other lovers or her own fingers had never been able to find. The taller woman was taking her time and Dinah was dragging nails down her back without realizing it, choking on air as her hips pulled back and forth like a puppet on a string. 

Too soon, Helena slipped her fingers free and held Dinah up by her hips. She lifted the fingers to her mouth, tasting juices with her lips and studiously watching Dinah’s desire and frustration grow from her action. 

“Why’d you… why'd you stop,” Dinah doesn’t want to complain - Helena sucking her fingers like that _was_ hot. But she also needed her back inside, doing what she was doing again. 

“I needed to… savor this,” Helena licked her lips to swallow and savor her, “you taste so good, Dinah.” 

It’s the first time Helena has said her name since she woke up and it unravels her desperation even more, another layer of want peeled bare. 

“Please don’t stop,” she begged. She had never begged in her life but the cool air where Helena’s fingers once were screamed empty and she needed to feel full. 

“I won’t,” Helena pressed their foreheads together. 

Instead of going back to fucking, she tugged the straps off Dinah’s negligee aside like the robe that was askew.

Dinah understood what Helena needed as her breasts spilled from their racy cage of fabric. 

Groaning from the sight of her freed tits, Helena leaned down to suck and lick them. She was methodic and slow, rhythmic and purposeful when her fingers pushed back inside to stretch Dinah’s muscles - teasing and soothing and moaning, “Ti vogghiu, fuck, Dinah _.”_

_Whatever the fuck she just said, yes._

Dinah lost sense of time, her hips rolling into Helena’s steady wrist and her nails digging and clawing when a third finger added thickness and the long middle finger boasted its dexterity. 

She made sounds, moaning and gasping with every sensation as Helena’s lips switched to her other breast to give it attention. 

“I’m going to cum… fuck… so close, Helena -!”

Finally, a skilled thumb brushed her clit as Helena’s fingers touched and pressed just right. Dinah felt the gears of her body shift as the pressure that had been building hot and slow starting to coil and burn. The hand on her ass had slid up her spine, holding her in place as her inner walls clenched. She slid her hands down to Helena’s ass - grabbing it with unhinged lust for all the times she’d ogled it - needing Helena’s wrist to stay as she rode out every oncoming wave. 

Helena moaned into her, low and almost thankful. She was arching in pain from the deathlike grip Dinah was wrapping her in. She paused the pumping of her wrist to articulate another curl and rub her thumb harder as Dinah started to clench around her fingers even tighter. 

“Are you close?” Helena's lips had moved up her chest to whisper in _that_ voice again, and Dinah let go, spasming before she could reply. 

With a high pitched gasp, Dinah came undone and arched until their breasts were pressed close together. The scream she wanted to let out was muffled as she bit Helena’s shoulder, breaking skin and seizing from the powerful rush that filtered her body. 

The fingers inside of her massaged her down from her high gently, before pulling out with a sound that made Dinah very aware of how much she gushed. Her head dropped back against the wall with a thud. She was spent, catching her breath as Helena’s hands moved up and down her thighs, coating them with her cum. 

‘C’mere,” she was breathless and let go of Helena’s very firm ass to pull her cheeks in for a grateful kiss, thanking her with her tongue until she needed to inhale oxygen again.

Helena gently let her legs down and Dinah stumbled - fucking _stumbled_ \- because her limbs felt like jelly. 

“Your fantasy, huh?” She asked when Helena steadied her with arms around her waist. 

There was no apology in Helena’s eyes or embarrassment, just lust. Dinah kissed her again. 

_Irresistible_.

“I’ve thought about you a lot,” Helena hugged her close, sighing into her hair after taking a deep breath of her scent, as if Dinah was the nicest smelling thing in the world. “I never thought… fuck, Dinah…”

Her back was against the wall again and Helena was on her knees. She wanted to beg Helena to have mercy, that she had already orgasmed herself into another reality and back again, but her thighs parted against her brain, and the words never escaped her when Helena’s mouth lapped up the cum that had spilled from between her legs. 

Helena’s shoulders support her exhausted thighs, and Dinah knows her back is going to feel the burn of the wall, but she doesn’t care when a tongue - Helena’s shy tongue - fucks her so good she has to scream it out, with no shoulder to bite on. 

//

She wakes up for the second time that day, naked and sore. A different kind of paradise from the morning's rest, much sweeter. 

Dinah remembered falling asleep tucked into a shoulder, hands playing with her hair as the sun brought out the brown tones of Helena's dark hair. 

But now when she woke up, she was breathing into Helena’s neck and spooning her from behind. It was nice to hold her - Dinah had never really been the cuddling type - but this?

_I could get used to this_. Helena’s skin was soft and the way their bodies fit together was perfect. 

She twisted her aching body gently around, blinking the haze from her eyes with a yawn. Late afternoon light was creeping through the windows and she smiled when she realized Helena was fast asleep, affectionately kissing her shoulder. Helena turned as if she knew Dinah was awake and about to slip out, her breath exhaling sweetly on Dinah’s nape to stop her from getting out of the bed. 

The other woman looked so young, so innocent as her chest rose and fell. The blanket had slipped to their waists and Dinah turned a bit more to lay on her back, careful not to jostle the arm now holding her captive. 

She hissed from the sting on her back, memories of bucking into a wrist and against a wall. _So fucking worth it_. 

Helena scrunched her nose at the movement and Dinah froze, but then she returned to her peaceful sleep with a small sigh and Dinah held herself back from giggling out loud. 

_God this woman was too much_. _Shy in the streets but a freak in the sheets._

Had she really just had Helena Bertinelli knuckle deep inside of her, whispering about fantasies?

_Yes, yes I did. In the kitchen and again in this bed. God is real._

Dinah was about to reach her hand up to brush Helena’s hair back in a move she knew to be unapologetically sappy, but before she could, a loud vibration interrupted her. 

“Oh shit!” she cursed and glanced at the phone. _That’s what I forgot, my fucking interview!_

She had twelve missed calls from Renee and had totally missed her interview. 

Quietly as she could so she didn’t wake her companion, she whispered, “hey Renee-”

But of course Renee was livid. _“You have any idea how fucking worried I was about you! Fuck! What the fuck happened? The fucking journalist is blowing up my phone.”_

Helena yawned awake, her hand leaving it’s position from Dinah’s waist to cover her mouth. Dinah winced and reluctantly answered the only truth she could think of, “I hurt my back?”

Helena’s eyes found hers and the woman looked concerned. Dinah shook her head to calm her down. 

_“Is that a fucking question, Lance?”_

“Renee. Renee. Call back and tell them I hurt my back, there was a panic because of the tour about me being able to perform so you weren’t able to reach me, and tell them I’m available this evening if they are willing to accommodate it, okay? Tell them I feel really bad,” She hung up the phone, not waiting for Renee’s reply and groaned into her arm, covering her eyes. 

“Everything okay?” Helena was concerned and the hand on her waist caressed her. 

Dinah wanted to reply, but then her eyes caught Helena’s messy bed head (messy from her hands more than the bed) before seeing the hickeys and bite marks she had left across a neck and chest, and the special bite on a shoulder. Dinah was speechless. Fuck work, she wanted to stay in bed and have her turn. 

“Renee is pissed. I missed an interview today because we - you know?”

“Oh,” Helena’s eyes were wide and she blushed, “I’m so sorry.”

“You really, _really_ ,” Dinah lowered her voice intentionally, tossing her phone aside, “don’t need to be sorry for that. That was the hottest sex I’ve ever had in my life.” 

“Oh.” Helena looked at her and bit her bottom lip before her eyes seemed to unabashedly trail down Dinah’s topless body. Her hand gently teased Dinah’s thigh under the covers and Dinah was smitten with the prideful look Helena got at being told she was ‘good.’

_I think she has a praise kink. Let’s see if I’m right._

“So,” Dinah slid her body on top, pinning Helena underneath her with a sly grin,her thigh bracketing a slim waist. “What other fantasies have you had?” 

“This is pretty close to one,” Helena eyes are all over her body and Dinah grabs her wrists to pin them by her head before they can touch her. 

She leaned down for a kiss, her hair curtaining them as they indulged. 

Dinah gently traced the bite mark she had left on Helena’s shoulder with her finger, smiling when Helena squirmed and gasped into her mouth. Helena was obedient in bed, she noticed, the wrists staying by her head and her neck lifting up to chase Dinah as she broke off the kiss to lean back and admire her position on top. 

“You’re going to be a good- ” the naughty words she wanted to tease Helena with were cut short when her phone vibrated. 

She groaned, throwing Helena apologetic eyes and sliding off of her to answer the phone. 

“Renee?” 

_“You’re fucking welcome. Interview is rescheduled for ten minutes. You owe me a fucking drink Lance. Make that a whole bottle.”_

“Yeah, yeah, thanks...” she got out of the bed and turned longing eyes to the naked woman she had to leave in it. “Bye.” 

“Interview?” Helena asked her, pushing up on her elbows and very understanding. 

“Yeah, ten minutes. Can you give me an hour? Then we can get back to _that_. There are so many things I want to do to you.” 

Helena smiled shyly again, holding the blanket to her chest for modesty as if she hadn’t just finger-fucked Dinah in the kitchen against a wall, eaten her out until she screamed, and then fucked her again in this bed until she fell asleep. 

Dinah winked and walked toward her bathroom, looking for a hair tie. 

“We haven’t eaten all day… what if I cook you dinner?” Helena’s voice asked her. 

Dinah had been tying up her hair and heading to her shower, still naked when she poked her head out of the bathroom, “Dinner?”

“Yeah,” Helena sat up more to explain, her hair definitely needing a comb, “my place when you’re done. I’ll head out now and set it up?”

“Your bike’s at home, H,” she quirked her brow. 

“I’ll take a cab,” Helena insisted. “It’s just… I remember you saying your ideal date was a romantic home-cooked dinner… if you want I would… I can…”

Dinah’s heart leapt out of her throat. She _had_ said that. 

When she was sixteen. 

“You remembered that?” Having gone the majority of her life without knowing what it was like to have someone cook for her, she had always wanted to be with someone who could. It was why she employed a personal chef for home-cooked meals. 

“Of course,” Helena looked down and played with an invisible thread on the sheet. 

“Take one of my other cars,” she told Helena. “Whichever keys you find first.”

The interview was probably starting in a few minutes, but Dinah walked over to Helena for one more kiss. 

“I’ll see you for dinner,” she leaned down, humming into her pliant mouth. 

Helena’s bright and happy smile was back, and Dinah had to have a cold shower to make it through this interview. 

//

Dinah’s Jaguar beeped as it locked, the door loud in the quiet area. She took in a sharp breath before double-checking her appearance in the side mirror of her car, quickly fixing her hair. She had parked next to her white Escalade, the one Helena had taken from her house to come over and… cook her dinner.

Like, _fuck_ , her heart was fluttering in nervous excitement and she was starving. There was a delicious ache between her thighs from being literally fucked, and a hunger for more than just food. 

She had come over in her tightest black jeans, and put on a very intentionally revealing fishnet top over a black bra. It was covered by a leather jacket but she longed to see Helena’s reaction to her attire. Her makeup included red lipstick that she fully intended to smear all over Helena’s thighs, and her nails were now trimmed and filed down for a very specific purpose. 

Confident that she looked super hot, Dinah held a flower she plucked from her garden in one hand and a small gift bag she had brought with her in the other as she sauntered up to the front door. After one deep breath, she knocked twice. 

There was a small waiting period, anticipation building when she heard footsteps approach, the turn of the doorknob and Helena was there. She was wearing an off-the-shoulder cream sweater with jeans, a touch of elegant makeup, and not for the first time Dinah agreed with every person that ever suggested Helena become a model. Her hair was no longer mussed from Dinah’s hands, now combed and styled over the side. Dinah couldn’t wait to untangle it again. 

“Hey,” Dinah smiled as Helena stretched her arms above her head on the doorframe, their eyes taking each other’s appearance in and mutually reminiscing every touch, every sound, and every inch of skin their clothes now covered. 

“Hi,” Helena’s voice was so obvious in it’s want, and Dinah couldn’t believe she was wet all over again from one simple word. 

She leaned forward, loving the way Helena’s nostrils flared as eyes locked on her mouth. 

“For you,” she purred, holding out her garden flower, touching the yellow and white hues of it’s petal against Helena’s bare shoulder in a flirtatious tickle before twirling the stem and offering it. 

Helena bit her lip and took it, their fingers brushing, “The snapdragons from your garden?” 

“You said they were nice,” Dinah leaned forward to kiss her like they both wanted, lingering to prolong it. Helena breathed a sigh into her lips and chased her before she broke it off, pecking her again.

She saw a flush of pink on cheeks that crept down her neck, and the visible bruises from earlier that had started to darken. The shoulder Helena’s sweater covered was of course the one she had marked with her teeth and Dinah tried not to think about that when she held the gift bag up next. 

“What’s this?” Helena was curious, trying to peek inside. 

“Perks of being my girlfriend, I can hook you up with that fancy skincare you like so much.”

“Girlfriend?” Helena was teasing her, her eyes dancing with mirth as she accepted the gift bag. 

“Shut up, as if you haven’t been _fantasizing_ about it for ten years...” She decided to turn the tables and tease right back, “Today maybe all your fantasies will come true.”

Helena looked up sharply, and if electricity could be seen, Dinah swore she saw it flashing in brown eyes. 

“I have a lot of them,” Helena’s eyes were burning, and she stepped back so Dinah could enter, “and one of them is cooking you dinner. Which I did. So, shall we?”

Dinah gave her a wink and quick kiss to her cheek before walking by her and leaving her shoes at the door. Helena’s house was only one floor and when she had been here before she’d seen the kitchen, the living room, and the bathroom. There had been no dining table, only a kitchen island, so to her surprise, the living room space now had two chairs around a small circular table. A romantic dinner set for two. 

There was a vase with a red rose in the middle, a black tablecloth that contrasted the stark white of porcelain dishes, and candles tastefully flickering against the dim light of the night. 

It was everything she ever dreamed of and more, because the woman who had done it for her was the literal best thing in the world. Helena set the snapdragon in the vase with the rose, and the bag of skincare down by her bookshelf. 

“They supplied me after that commercial I shot, and I saw that you used it last time I was here.” Dinah said, suddenly feeling nervous again because Helena had fucking _done all this for her_ and it was the sweetest thing in the world even before a morsel of food. 

She tried to play it off, but now she was feeling bashful and Helena was clearly touched when her eyes lit up from what she had seen inside the bag. “Thanks, I wanted to try that serum.”

Silence lulled and Dinah loitered by the table. 

“Right,” Helena jumped forward and grabbed a chair, pulling it back. “You sit er, here, and um, food. I’ll bring the food. That I made.”

Just like that, Dinah felt her nerves dissipate. She took her seat and happily watched Helena practically run to the kitchen. 

//

“That was so good,” Dinah licked her spoon clean. She had just been served a small, delicate taste of gelato as the finale of Helena’s four course meal: soup, salad, pasta with oysters, and gelato. Italian, and clearly some of her favorites from lunches they had together in the past, which Helena thoughtfully prepared. “Like, so good I could die happy right now.”

“Perks of being my girlfriend,” Helena teased, clearly pleased Dinah had enjoyed dinner. “You want some more wine?”

“We already polished a whole bottle with dinner, H,” Dinah reached across to the table to hold her fingers, smiling when they intertwined by the vase, “and we have fucking rehearsal in the morning.”

Helena made a noise of ‘oh yeah,’ and it was like they realized their day had almost ended and the week would be busy again. 

“Are you excited to dance again?” Dinah asked her, since tomorrow they would be practicing choreography for the group tour number. 

“Actually, yeah,” Helena danced in their hand-hold a little and Dinah smiled at it. “Dinah?”

“Yeah?” she answered, brushing her thumb against knuckles. 

“I know we said we were going to go slow because of the tour and everything…” Helena tapered off but stopped short, not finishing the sentence. 

“I know,” Dinah squeezed her fingers to reassure her the pace was just fine. “I’m fine with it, it felt like a long time coming. And I’m not joking, I can see this really going somewhere, Helena. This, between us, it’s special.”

Helena seemed to relax, her eyes even starting to get wet with emotion, “I just… I can’t believe this is real. I feel like I wasted our time by never telling you how I feel. It used to just be a crush, I thought. I tried to stay away from you, tell myself you saw me as a sister or something. Date other women. But it’s always been you, Dinah… always.” 

Helena didn’t say ‘love’ but Dinah understood what she meant. 

“It’s not totally one-sided, you know,” Dinah needed Helena to know that it was just timing. “I’ve always thought you were attractive, I just never entertained it as a possibility and probably didn’t understand my sexuality enough at the time either… we were kids, Helena, now we’re women. Maybe the timing is perfect after all? We know who we are and we aren’t confused about what we want.” 

She smiled when Helena nodded back at her with more assurance, saying with full conviction, “I know what I want, Dinah.”

//

Considering Helena was so tall, Dinah had no clue why the woman had such a small loveseat for a couch in her house. 

They had already knocked knees as she tried to push Helena back and lie on top of her. The problem was they were too interested in keeping their lips locked that neither of them coordinated their bodies very well. And they were too tall for, “the fucking couch, H.” 

“I know, sorry,” Helena hands glided over her body, kneading under her leather jacket and black denim covered thighs, “sorry... ugh I love you in tight pants.” 

Dinah had graciously been allowed to slide her hand up a firm set of abs under Helena’s sweater - which was where she decided to keep it - and Helena had let out the sexiest sound Dinah had ever heard when she found bare nipples and pinched. She was not surprised a bra had been selectively forgone (it had been tickling her curiosity all night, with the way the sweater only covered one shoulder). 

“Wait, wait,” Dinah pressed their foreheads together, closing her eyes to remember to breathe, “Let’s try - sit back, let me.” 

Helena seemed confused until she saw the way Dinah braced an arm on the couch and raised her leg to swing it over. 

This time, with all the execution of a well planned porno, Dinah was able sit down on muscular thighs - trapping Helena with her own legs and even gaining the height advantage. Helena cupped the back of her neck to pull her down for another kiss, moaning that sexy sound again when Dinah slipped her hands back up her shirt, teasing the underside of her breasts but falling short, brushing sensitive ribs instead. 

“Oh,” Dinah said in happy surprise as Helena’s lips started to move down her neck. She arched back, closing her eyes at the sensation and relinquishing Helena’s skin to grab her hair and keep her where she was. Helena was very good at nipping her neck, the right amount of pressure and the right spots. 

“Mmm you smell so good,” Helena complimented her between kisses before pressing a wet mouth even lower down. Through the fishnet of her top, the sensations were aggravatingly welcome. 

“Oh that feels good,” Dinah encouraged her, wanting those lips back on her own, she forced Helena’s head back against the couch, claiming them with an appreciative kiss. 

This time she teased Helena’s lips with the tip of her tongue, seeking a deeper kiss. She groaned and rocked her hips down on Helena’s lap when the memorable tongue met her own, reminding her of its skill between her thighs. Helena’s hands drifted from her neck down her breasts, causing her to arch before they settled at her hips. 

Their kiss entered carnal territory, wet and heated as their tongues met and Dinah ground down in Helena’s lap. 

“Can we take this off?” Helena’s hands travelled back up her side to tug at the leather jacket she still had on. 

Dinah’s hands grabbed Helena’s wrists, stopping them. “Bedroom. Let’s go to the bedroom.”

She was up, pulling Helena’s wrist as if it was her own bedroom and house she was guiding the woman in. When they made it to the room, she urged Helena’s sweater off first to get her desired eyeful. And oh, seeing all the damage she had left when Helena turned around to flick on the lamp was… well damn, those were some scratches on that back. 

“Fuck, I really did a number on your back.”

Helena turned around to tell her, “I liked it. I liked it a lot.” 

_Well then. Nice._

Taking her leather jacket off was her answer, so Helena could see the fishnet long-sleeve and black bra on display in full view. She enjoyed the hitch of Helena’s breath. Earlier when they fucked, it had been so passionate and desperate, and now there was a seductive play in their movements. 

Stepping forward, Dinah wrapped her hands around a long neck and once again claimed a mouth with purpose. She was pleased when she coaxed a needy moan from Helena’s throat before she left those lips to press soft, soothing kisses on top of the bruised shoulder she had caused from her first orgasm. 

“Sorry I bruised you,” her apology was ingenuine now that she knew Helena liked it, and she loved the chuckle Helena gave her. 

“I’m not.”

Dinah took that as permission to proceed with their game, cupping Helena’s breasts. She smoothed her hands down to do so, then slowly pinched and rolled erect nipples, relishing in the way Helena’s hands gripped her hips in response. 

“I want you naked,” she looked up from her handiwork and wrapped her arms around Helena’s neck, “will you undress for me?”

“Yeah - I,” she interrupted Helena’s stutter with a slow kiss, “yes…”

“Good girl… I want my turn with you.” 

Helena’s eyes darkened from her praise, and Dinah felt a thrill shoot up her spine at the control. 

She dropped her arms from Helena and stepped back to watch her compliantly disrobe. Helena tugged her jeans and underwear off, stumbling a little forward when she tried to work her ankles through the slim opening of denim. 

“Easy tiger,” Dinah chuckled, low and sultry, eyes darkening at the sight in front of her. Helena was fit. Like _fit_ , fit. She hadn’t really been able to take in the view and appreciate it earlier that day - what with being fucked, fucked again, and then fucked some more. Even when they were naked she had been too distracted with feeling for seeing and all she could think right now was _jackpot._

In the industry she was in, it was normal for people to be hot, but she had never seen a naked body and felt like it was just made for her pleasure. Until now. 

“Lie down on the bed,” she meant it as a request but it didn’t formulate as a question so much as a direction. Helena did as told, and Dinah took her own jeans off slowly, watching Helena and being watched in return. 

When Helena had laid out on the blankets, Dinah sat on top of her waist. The bright red thong she had selected for this specific moment had caused Helena’s jaw to slacken. 

“Oh fuck,” Helena was red all over, visible even in the dim lighting, and her hands dug into Dinah’s thighs to tell her, “Dinah this is… this is the hottest fucking thing. Holy fuck. Pi Favuri.” 

“I haven’t even kissed you yet,” she teased because Helena’s breathing was heavy. Dinah towered over her, feeling the warmth of their skin where it connected. It was burning hot. “You’re so warm - I turn you on that much?”

“You have no idea,” Helena whimpered, hands smoothing around to grip ass cheeks and skim the thong’s seem in appreciation. 

With this angle and height, Dinah was able to see every reaction on Helena’s face in the lamplight, watching as her eyes close from the sensations of Dinah on top of her before opening and looking right at the bright red fabric and letting out a wanton moan, guttural when she tried to explain. “Fuck you’re wearing a thong and you’re on top of me… just, fuck.” 

Dinah grinded down into abs, flicking her hair over her shoulder before moving her hands to grip strong shoulders, teasing with her touches on purpose to cup breasts and knead them.

She was rewarded with Helena’s arms circling her waist and pulling them chest to chest, wanting more friction as Helena sat up. Their lips broke apart for much needed air and Dinah ground her hips with a sensual sway as she moved to kiss beneath an ear. 

“What do you like?” She was breathing so heavy, aroused was a simple way to explain her state. 

Helena took in a deep breath, inhaling her from the neck as their hips moved in slow, stimulating sync. 

“Your body is so perfect,” Helena complimented her. 

Dinah sighed into her. There was something so intoxicating about being wanted by Helena. With her fame and fortune and experience, she knew she was pretty damn attractive too. There were so many offers, so many willing and sexy partners and fans who lost their shit over her looks. 

With Helena it was different - different even from Oliver. She wanted Helena so badly, like an addiction that needed to be indulged lest she die of want. And to have this woman under her, lost in her… Dinah had never felt so powerful and powerless at the same time. 

“Can I have you?” She asked, leaning back and slowing the rotation of her hips, lifting Helena’s face away from her neck to kiss her again. 

Helena moaned, pulling her in and sighing when their lips parted. When she met Helena’s eyes, she saw raw lust - all for her. Cheeks were red from their activities with the deepest flush Dinah had ever seen on her, and her lips were swollen from all the ravaging and kissing. She looked as desperate as Dinah felt. 

“Yes,” Helena promised her, eyes staring right into her with that hunger. “Please.” 

“I’m so wet for you right now,” Dinah confessed. 

“Are you?” Helena’s voice was thick with want and she even sounded like she still couldn’t believe Dinah was the one saying it. “For me?”

“Yeah, all for you…” Dinah’s hands reached down and she shoved Helena against the bed so she was once again lying down. “You want to see how much?”

Helena closed her eyes, letting out that moan Dinah desperately wished to hear again. When she opened her eyes and nodded her consent, Dinah kissed her again once, a promise that this was going to be worth the wait, before moving off of Helena’s body to stand. 

Teasing, she hooked her thumbs in her thong and turned around, about to pull it off of her legs until her eyes caught sight of something obnoxiously pink.

It was the first proof of Helena having any sort of memorabilia from their time as Birds Of Prey: a pair of bright pink suspenders that dangled from a hook on the door. 

She had a memory of them all wearing those matching pink suspenders over white crop tops and jean shorts as they danced down the fake street of a film studio. It was the most fun they had ever had, no choreography for that music video - just told to look like they were having fun. 

“You still have these?” She unhooked them and smoothed her thumb over the sharpie that held her signature on the fabric next to Zinda’s block letters and Barbara’s ‘Babs' with a heart. She looked up and found Helena’s eyes watching her. 

“Yeah, good memory,” Helena said, equally nostalgic for days of silly laughter before her eyes zoned in, deliberately, to the small triangle of Dinah’s red thong. “You leaned in really close to sign it for me, and you kissed my cheek that day.” 

When Dinah had recalled it, it was innocent. It was Zinda’s idea that they sign each other’s bright pink suspenders, and she remembers writing her name on Helena’s and complimenting her back flip. And Helena had given her that look, that one that she now knew had always been just for her. 

“I want to tie your hands to the bed with these,” she tugged to check their strength before grinning, and eyeing Helena, “and have my way with you.”

“S-sure,” Helena was leaning up on her elbows, gulping in anticipation. 

Dinah walked over, eyeing her prey with unconcealed lust. She leaned over, casting a shadow on Helena’s face with a grin when she reached for the farest hand first. Her hair tickled a sharp jaw, clenched in a whimper, and she wrapped the end of one pink suspender’s side in a knot around a wrist. When she tightened it with a forceful tug, Helena’s breath hitched. She repeated the same on the other side, methodical and slow, wrapping it through the bed frame and admiring the sight of Helena at her mercy with a bite to her bottom lip.

She lightly dragged her fingers over the knotted pink fabric, down tense forearms, and then up and down the expanse of shoulders and breasts with the same pressure of a feather before standing up again.

Turning back around to give the bound woman a view of her ass, covered with nothing red string accentuating it, Dinah rocked her hips side to side, thumbs tugging the flimsy fabric down before she turned around to watch Helena’s face as it fell down to the ground.

Helena’s jaw had dropped open during the little strip tease. Her neck was craned, eyes unblinking as they memorized what felt like every centimeter of toned thighs and calves.

Pleased with her (literally) captive audience, Dinah lifted the fishnet top next, working it up her body in slow and careful deliberation, over heard, before letting it fall soundlessly to the floor. She felt the burn of eyes following her movement, more flattering than the thousands of fans who screamed for her when she sang. Dinah has never felt so sexy as in this moment.

Unhooking her bra was the last straw, so to speak, and Helena finally whimpered out loud, rubbing her thighs together. 

“Are you going to cum very hard for me?” She approached the bed again, happy to see the wetness glistening where Helena’s legs parted for her as if on autopilot.

“Yes,” Helena said, voice thick with the same intensity Dinah felt.

She wanted nothing more than to help that sixteen year old girl who had bottled her feelings and locked them away get another fantasy come true, so she sank her knees into the mattress and purred, “good girl.”

/

Dinah moaned into the sweet taste of Helena’s juices. She was buried between Helena’s muscular thighs, having smeared her red lipstick on the insides before lapping and licking every drop she could. 

“You taste so good, baby,” she looked up when she said it, eyes fixed on Helena’s arched chest. 

“Dinah,” Helena gasped her name, a lewd hitch of her breath following when Dinah flicked her tongue and sucked on her clit. 

Helena strained the suspenders against the bed frame and she kept her knuckles clenched, their eyes met and Dinah leaned back drawing circles with her fingers along the smooth skin of Helena’s quads. She was lying flat on her tummy with legs over her shoulders, taking her sweet time to work Helena up and listening to the tiny sounds she makes and working her tongue until she can coax a louder one before pausing. 

Helena turned frustrated and pleading eyes down at her, “Jesus, Dinah.” 

Dinah smirked. 

“You’re such a good girl for me,” Dinah soothed her before softly kissing the inside of her thighs, 

Helena’s body shuddered, and Dinah felt the quiver of thighs. 

“I got you baby,” she pressed forward, swiping her tongue up through a slit before thrusting it through the folds. She pressed hard when she felt a gush of wetness on her chin, holding Helena’s thighs open and looking up when Helena’s body shook into her.

When Helena hits her high, her heels dig into Dinah’s back as her hips lift up into her mouth. The moaning sound she unleashes from her throat has Dinah drenched, and Helena is catching her breath and collapsing as Dinah kisses her body slowly, settling between her legs. 

She kisses Helena, her lips and chin still sticky with cum. Dinah reaches down between their bodies to roll and rub a sensitive clit, earning another gasp in her mouth as Helena cums again. 

Helena’s breath slows down and Dinah presses her ear to the loud thumping and racing of her heart. Minutes pass in silence and Dinah kisses Helena’s sternum when she hears a soft groan, before rolling off of her and untangling the pink suspenders with a giggle. The knots had tightened when Helena thrashed in them and Dinah tosses it aside before kissing the red marks of her wrists. 

“Was that okay?”

Helena turned on her side so they were facing each other, a soft smile on her lips and hair mussed up from the static of the pillow. Her hand cradled Dinah’s cheek and she says with a content sigh, “I think this is the best day of my life.” 

Dinah laughs and turned her lips to kiss the palm at her cheek before sighing, laying her hand at Helena’s bare hip. “I don’t know, I mean, my first Grammy was pretty epic…” 

Her playful smirk earns her an eye roll before Helena is kissing her again, and Dinah hasn’t even properly cleaned herself. 

“I can’t believe Dinah Lance just… _you_ just…” Helena’s smile was smug and dopey as she inched close. 

Dinah kissed her again, giggling at Helena’s gleeful realization. “You want to sleep or shower or what?”

“It’s just, you’re my girlfriend. _You_. I’m the luckiest person in the world.”

“Awww that’s sweet,” Dinah had squeezed her closer then, pressing her happy smile into Helena’s skin, “but I’m the lucky one.” 

They held each other close and Dinah didn’t want to move, didn’t want to think of the busy week ahead. She just wanted to cuddle her girlfriend. 

“Dinah?” Helena’s voice asked her. 

“Hm?” She peered up from her comfortable spot, still smiling happily. 

“You said you were wet for me,” Helena reminded her, gently playing with her hair, “I can feel it.” 

//

Monday morning they had to be at the studio early. Helena poured her a coffee, sweetly kissing her cheek and wondering if they should take one car or separate. She had borrowed a hoodie from Helena and wore her jeans this morning (she left her thong in Helena’s laundry on purpose, as a surprise), a change of clothes would be at the studio. 

Helena had put on a tight adidas tracksuit with a purple hue for their dance day, her hair still damp from her shower.

“Let’s go in together,” she said, pressing Helena against the door of her Escalade and thanking her for the thoughtful coffee with proper etiquette. 

~~‘~~ “We’re running late,” Helena giggled, enjoying the kisses too much to really care. 

With a lot of self-control, Dinah untangled and asked Helena to drive so she could reply to some of her missed messages. 

“I might need an ice pack for my vagina,” Dinah buckled in her seatbelt, leaning her seat back and smiling when Helena’s cheeks predictably flushed from her words. 

“I’m so sorry-” Dinah smacked her arm, to cut her off. 

“Don’t be. It’s the good kind of sore.” Still, she put the seat warmers on in the car for both of them. 

They hit the highway into the city and Dinah rolled her eyes from Renee’s ‘where the fuck are you!’ text message before admiring her girlfriend. Helena kept one hand on the wheel and the other relaxed over the gear shift. Dinah reached for her hand, bringing it up to kiss knuckles and intertwine her fingers. Helena’s hands were soft even with all of the construction work she did. She was always using some kind of fancy hand cream, and the memories of having those fingers press into her core… 

“I thought you had to reply to some messages?” Helena teased her as they entered the city. 

“Yeah but you’re distracting me.”

“I’m distracting you?” Helena stopped at a red light and turned surprised eyes to Dinah. 

“Yeah, not fair. You look sexy.” Her compliment had them caught in a stare until a beeping car horn reminded them the traffic was moving and Helena turned her eyes back to the road. 

They parked in Dinah’s reserved spot behind the record label’s private entrance, and Dinah cradled her thermos of coffee to her chest. They were back in the real world and that meant keeping things professional for the next ten hours or whatever. 

“Can we still keep this on the down-low?” Helena asked her, locking the car and making sure no one was around before she leaned down to kiss the corner of Dinah’s mouth. “I don’t really want to-”

“Of course,” Dinah stepped forward and fiddled with the zipper on her tracksuit, “This is our business, no one else’s. You good?”

“I’m good,” Helena promised with a shy smile on her lips. Since no one was around, Helena stole a kiss, chaste and sweet. “Sorry it’s just… your dimples when you smile.”

Dinah smiled brighter, letting her dimples dazzle Helena before she nudged her, “Let's get this day over with, shall we?”

/

“Since when do you bring your own coffee and not have Alison to get it for you?”

“His name is Alistor, Renee, Alistor,” Dinah corrected Renee - and not for the first time. Sometimes Renee thought her assistant’s name was Endo. 

“You’re both late, that choreographer is losing his shit.” 

Helena trailed behind them as they walked and talked, and Dinah enjoyed sipping the coffee that her girlfriend made for her, half listening to her agent talk. 

“There you are!” Derek was mid conversation with Zinda and Barbara who were dressed in workout attire for dance. “You aren’t even dressed!”

“Alistor is bringing my change of clothes,” Dinah assured him, “Morning Babs. Cinnamon.” 

They all burst into giggles, remembering their last conversation and to Dinah’s delight Helena even greeted them. 

“Morning, guys.” 

Barbara’s face at being acknowledged was hilarious, and when Alistor brought her change of clothes they were an hour behind schedule but all finally happy to be in the same room together. 

“Girl is dance bruising your back?” Zinda looked concerned when Dinah tied her hair up in a ponytail, her sports bra failing to hide the purple bruising from her ‘fucked against a wall’ excursion.

She caught Helena’s red cheeks for a private moment before she smirked at Zinda, “Something like that.” 

To their surprise, they all remembered their choreographed routine and after a couple slower run-throughs and warm ups, it was like old times and Dinah was sixteen years old with her best friends again, laughing when Barbara would yell ‘fuck fuck fuck!’ after turning the wrong way. 

“Like this,” Helena demonstrated the way she pushed off her heel to spin. Her jacket had been thrown aside and in her t-shirt and track pants she led them through some tips for movement. 

“Dinah are you okay?” Derek had snapped his fingers at her, concerned. She realized she had been mesmerized with seeing Helena dance again after so long that she had missed her cue. 

“Yeah, er, totally fine,” she fanned her face and felt the smug weight of Helena’s stare.

Needless to say Helena’s dancing had a lot more energy after that. 

Dinah’s backup dancers came into the dance studio as they were doing the final run-through of ‘Wannabe,’ all of them cheering when Helena broke into her dance solo with fluid movement. 

Dinah laughed from her team’s excitement, surprised to learn a lot of them were Birds Of Prey fans. In the corner of her eye, she saw Helena high-five Zinda as if they hadn’t spent a decade not-on speaking terms, and she smiled when Barbara even got a nod wanting to join them until Derek stole her attention to review what they needed to figure out that day. 

“Hey, you want to stay and watch? Have lunch with me before you go to work?” Dinah nudged her shoulder before stealing her bottle of water and taking a sip for herself, an indirect kiss and twinkle in their eyes. 

“I mean, it’s only fair since you’ve been ogling my dancing that I get to watch yours, right?” Helena teased her, taking her water bottle back and then shrugging casually, “Let me just call Dave. See that he has things handled for a while, I'd love to stay.” 

“Cool,” Dinah punched her arm and then went to freshen up in the bathroom. 

She was reaching for toilet paper in the stall when whispers caught her interest and peeked through the bathroom mirror to see Tabitha and Paxton, two of her best backup dancers giggling and touching up their hair. 

“Who, Helena Bertinelli?”

“Yeah! Callum is all over her,” Tabitha was clearly amused. “Britt’s fucking pissed about it.” 

Of course, everyone knew Callum, the six foot muscled backup dancer and Britt had an on and off-again relationship. Dinah rolled her eyes - one wouldn’t think the lead singer of a tour knew who fucked who in her crew, but she knew way too much. 

Dinah paused, listening to the gossip that Callum, the flirtatious boy he was, had been apparently flirting with Helena. 

“Britt needs to chill, Callum is over any girl that has a pretty face,” Paxton said with an unimpressed droll. “Besides, he has no chance.” 

“What do you mean? Tall girls like tall guys and Callum is tall and fine,” Tabitha was touching up her lips with a chapstick. “Every girl loses their shit when he dances.”

Paxton giggled, “Well, you didn’t hear this from me but I did that commercial work last year for Komy Anders, you know?”

Komy Anders was an ~~d~~ actress and the older sister of Kory Anders, the same actress Kory who Dick had cheated on Barbara with. And memories of Saturday returned, the way Kory knew Helena… Dinah frowned and listened patiently. 

“The car ad with the dancing?”

“Yeah. And Komy is like, in the closet. Helena and her ~~e~~ were like - you know?”

“No way!” Tabitha sounded scandalized, “but Komy is with that hunky footballer - what’s his name?”

“Victor Stone,” Paxton nodded. “Yeah, I don’t know maybe she’s in the closet or he’s her beard. But, I saw them in her dressing room on set.”

The girls left to the dance studio and Dinah quickly caught herself to flush and leave the stall, washing her hands. She had been curious about Helena’s past a little bit, but hearing it this way was unnerving and… she was fucking jealous. 

Jealousy was not something she felt often, the last time it had curled in her mind was when she was fifteen and saw happy families celebrating Christmas together. This was different. Even with Oliver he was always getting hit on and it never bothered her, she had felt secure. 

Rationally she knew Helena had been into her since they were sixteen, had spent practically the entire Sunday having sex with her, and even cooked dinner for her. But all Dinah could think of was how Helena clearly had experience, pressing her against a wall and having her and why did she have to have history with Komy Anders of all the beautiful women in the world? Komy was once Miss Universe goddammit. 

This plagued her when Derek walked them through the motions of Callum (stupid handsome Callum who she _had_ seen trying to engage Helena in conversation, standing a little too close in his thin tanktop the flirtatious asshole that he was) lifting her up during the dance routine for her song. So Dinah called a time out. 

“I want to change things,” she told Derek and tried not to let any jealousy or hint of anger get in her throat?

“Change things?” Derek looked indignant and Dinah glanced back at her troupe, trying to reason because they all looked as confused as she felt. 

“Nick’s shoulder is still a little sore, so Callum you do the dance with Britt instead.” 

Callum looked a hurt, he was the best male dancer and being the one to lift Dinah up was a privilege. She knew it looked like she was demoting him, but she didn’t want him near her. He was pissing her off. 

“Britt is smaller, Nick won’t be able to lift you with his shoulder,” Derek reasoned with her. 

“I know,” Dinah pointed her finger at Helena who was curiously watching from her spot on the floor. “H, come on. You’re my partner for this one.” 

“What?” Helena furrowed her brows in surprise, “Dinah-”

“You’re going to be on the tour,” Dinah beckoned her impatiently over, “we might as well use you in another dance.”

“Uh…” Helena looked caught. 

“Dinah, we have the team already sorted out!” Derek didn’t like change and Dinah cut her eyes to him, causing him to shut up. “Okay fine. But can she lift you?”

Dinah gave Helena her dimpled smile, now that she knew it had an affect and boldly taunted her, “Yeah H, can you?”

Helena cleared her throat and stood up, accepting the challenge with more composure than Dinah thought she would, “You’re really not going to let me get to work, are you. You know Dave is losing his shit right?”

“Dave can deal,” Dinah grabbed her hand when she got close and pulled her into the middle where Callum dejectedly left to go by Britt’s side. “Alright, let’s- ah!”

Helena lifted her up, causing her to squeak in surprise, before dropping her down and laughing at the reaction she got. Without caring who was watching, Dinah smacked her stomach and laughed too. (Dinah was unaware her dance troupe who had served her on countless tours were shocked to see her having fun, because while always polite and kind, when it came to work Dinah was always laser focused). 

“Alright positions, people!” Derek seemed to give in before muttering unhappily, “This is unorthodox Dinah.” 

“Fans will love it,” Dinah promised him, not caring about his opinion. “We’ve booked an extended tour because of the ticket demand with the Birds Of Prey number.” 

/

Helena’s lips at the nape of her neck were scalding in their exploration and Dinah enjoyed the way a body pressed against her spine as she locked the door. 

They were in an empty recording studio instead of eating lunch because dancing together had been the hottest foreplay of Dinah’s life and she couldn’t stand not having Helena again. 

Helena hands smoothed up her abdomen and she panted into Dinah’s ear, “you’re so defined here, I can’t look away when you dance… your arms...” 

“Fuck Helena,” fingers slipped down over her sweatpants to the seam, applying a tantalizing pressure that had her press her psalm against the door and part her legs. 

“Dinah,” Helena pushed her sports bra up next and grinded into her ass, both of them groaning from the stimulating pressure, “dancing with you like that was a dream come true…”

Dinah closed her eyes when hands cupped and squeezed her breasts, her nipples were still sensitive from the previous day and she gasped when Helena played with them and her body was ready. 

One of Helena’s hands moved her ponytail aside so the other woman could press kisses across her upper back and shoulders, and then the hand pressed against the door next to hers. 

She was drenched from having to wrap a leg around Helena, be lifted by Helena, and dancing so closely with her - all during a dance song she sang countless times before but never really realized was so damn _sexual_. 

Dinah reached one arm around to tangle her fingers in dark hair when Helena finally slipped a hand in her panties. She was _drenched,_ too desperate to be touched and not at all embarrassed about it. Helena’s fingers moved through her folds, parting them before curling around from the front and entering in a practiced thrust. 

“Just like that, H, fuck,” she told her, moving her hips.

Helena’s hand on the door covered hers when the pace of her thrusts picked up and Dinah leaned forward to bite into her own arm so she wouldn’t make any sounds. 

Her orgasm was fast, releasing the tension built up during the dancing. She sagged against the door and laughed when Helena nuzzled her neck, keeping her fingers moving gently, as if reluctant to remove them, before she kissed Dinah's shoulder and pulled out.

Dinah turned around and tugged her sports bra back in place, watching Helena lick her fingers clean. 

“So I guess that’s your lunch, huh?”

Helena popped her finger noisily from her lips and flushed bright red but managed to flirt back, “You know me, I eat healthy.” 

Giggling, Dinah saw the clock and knew there was enough time. They were locked in this room and the blinds were down, and no one was using it until the evening. 

“Tell me about this new diet,” her hands lifted Helena’s black t-shirt off and all the hickeys and bites that the shirt covered were on display for her, now visibly blue and purple. 

She guided Helena with a hand on her sternum not applying much pressure but enjoying the way Helena melted backwards and stumbled to sit down on one of the stools near the equipment. 

Dinah hooked her thumbs in the waistband of a tracksuit and the light purple boy shorts she had Helena slip on in the morning. Helena lifted her hips up, allowing her to pull her bottoms down and off her long legs. 

Kneeling down between her legs with predatory eye contact, Dinah guided them over her shoulders and kissed the inside of her thighs. 

“Fuck we are so hot together aren’t we?” Dinah murmured for Helena’s ears, “Our sexual chemistry… no one’s ever gotten me this hot baby. Only you…”

“Oh Jesus,” Helena’s voice cracked as she watched Dinah nibble and moved closer to the aroma of her desire. 

“You must have fantasized about me here too, after a singing session, hmm? Tell me.”

White knuckles gripped the stool, hoping to maintain balance against the onslaught of Dinah’s skilled tongue. And what a tongue, Helena thought, that spoke such dirty and hot things, that aided Dinah’s impressive vocal range, and that made her see stars when the muscle flattened against her just like that. 

“So many times,” Helena whimpered as Dinah swiped through her, legs parting and craning for more friction. Dinah wasn’t just going to let her mouth fuck her, thrusting two fingers into Helena and watching the woman’s head roll back to thud against the wall. “Oh fuuuuuuuuck… ugh…”

Dinah thrusted in and sucked a swollen clit, the possessiveness and jealousy that had hit her earlier coming back.

“You’re only like this for me, right Helena? No one else?”

“Never, Dinah…” Helena groaned breathlessly, glad she had the upper body strength to keep herself on the stool. 

“You’re such a good girl,” Dinah told her, thrusting harder and focusing only on making Helena cum undone. “My good girl.” 

“Oh my...god… I’m going to-!”

When she pressed her mouth back inside, Helena gripped a hand in her hair, nestling at the ponytail with surprising gentleness as she tensed and gasped into her climax. 

As she eased down, Dinah carefully licked her clean before standing up and giving a spent Helena a wink. Helena caught her breath, hair matted to her forehead. She pushed off the stool and pulled her pants back on and up. 

They kept eye contact as Helena slipped her shirt back on, meeting halfway for a kiss that was slow and grateful for the afternoon quickie. 

“You’re such a good girl,” Dinah wrapped arms around Helena’s neck, pulling her down for another kiss as Helena’s hands played against the small of her back. They were so soft and gentle and Dinah was feeling insatiable. 

“Fuck,” Helena sucked on her bottom lip, deepening the kiss further, “when you call me that I…”

“I can tell,” Dinah nuzzled her nose affectionately. “It’s why I say it.”

“I’ve never been like this with anyone else,” Helena kissed her again after she said it, they started to sway together in their embrace. 

“Like what?” Dinah wondered if they were in the same boat, sexually awakened and addicted. 

“Open. Myself.” Helena’s thumb came up to caress her bottom lip, and Dinah loved the gesture more than she cared to admit. 

“I’ve never had such good sex,” Dinah teased her before saying seriously, “I think I’m falling in love with you.” 

//

The rest of the dance choreography was late, and it was passed midnight when Dinah finally got to leave, waving her awesome dance team goodbye and thanking Derek for his perfectionist work. She was a lot less angry when she saw Callum after ‘lunch,’ memories of Helena moaning on that stool enough to cool her hot jealousy. 

“Hey.” 

Dinah paused at the sharp tone of Renee’s voice and she raised an eyebrow. Renee was often pissy and annoyed was her go-to, but this was anger. 

“What’s wrong?”

“What's wrong?” Renee lifted up to show Dinah the screen of her cell phone. “This is wrong, Lance. Don’t you think I should know if you’re coming out? I am your agent!”

“What?” Dinah took the phone and thought _shit_. 

Someone had seen them that morning in the parking lot, when they thought they were alone. There were a flurry of candid pictures: her fiddling flirtatiously with Helena’s zipper, them kissing with smiles because Helena liked her dimples, exiting the car, the kiss she pressed to Helena’s face. 

“Ah shit,” Dinah cringed, passing the phone back to Renee. 

“I know you’ve never officially come out and this is big, but, Dinah, you’re going to need to get ahead of this. What’s going on with you two?”

“We’re… she’s my girlfriend,” Dinah confided in Renee, rubbing her forehead irritably, “Fuck we wanted to keep it private until the tour was over with, at least… fuck!”

“It’ll be okay, we’ll figure it out.” Renee grumbled and swore under breath. 

“Why are you so pissed? You told me I should have come out three Grammy’s ago.” 

“Because now I know how you ‘hurt your back’ you horny little shithead!” Renee’s glare was mostly harmless and Dinah covered her face in embarrassment. “I swear, I’ve been with you for close to a decade and you have _never_ missed an interview or slept in like that even when you were with Oliver’s clingy ass. Should have known your libido was the cause. You can’t be this distracted, Dinah, these months are important.”

“I know,” Dinah felt a little guilty, “but Renee, I… I’m happy.”

“I’m happy you’re happy,” Renee promised her, eyes softening, “but do you really need to be fucking her in recording studios? Can’t you keep it in your pants until a bedroom?”

“You know about that?” Dinah’s eyes widened, and she wondered if this was what kids felt like when their parents caught them fooling around. Mortified. 

“Now that you confirmed it, you oversexed dumbass!” Renee scolded her in a whisper. “Seriously, the recording room? Your assistant couldn’t find you during lunch for some fitting and then I saw you and Bertinelli coming out of one.”

“Right,” Dinah chewed her lip. 

“This was up five minutes ago,” Renee said, “I got the alert. Go home, sleep, we’ll figure out our next step.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2 more chapters planned for this story! thanks for reading, hope to hear thoughts?


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> big shoutout to stoveek the best beta 
> 
> last chapter artwork https://konako.tumblr.com/post/622305899443306496  
> thanks konako you talented person

When she had last seen Helena, kissing her a sweet, promising goodnight, they agreed to meet in the morning at Birds Of Prey rehearsal. Helena said she would bring her another delicious thermos of coffee, twirled a lock of her hair and let their noses graze. Things had been so _perfect_ and exciting and now…

Now they were already complicated and for the first time Dinah truly resented the paparazzi. From all the most disturbing stalkery photos taken of her to date, this one was the most bitter. It was like one precious and private thing that was all her own, that she wanted to protect and savour, and it was being snatched away from her. 

She shook her head, trying to control her growing anger. 

Before the pap pics of their highly unmistakable form of affection hit the internet, Helena was all hers. And now, Helena’s phone was turned off or without battery or _something_ , because every call Dinah tried to make went straight to voicemail, and Dinah wondered if her girlfriend even knew anything about twitter lighting up their names. 

_‘Hashtag Birds Of Gay’_ , or whatever the fuck was causing Renee to take this so seriously. She was less concerned with her image and more concerned with Helena who had not replied to her since yesterday _at all_. 

She was starting to get past worried and closer to scared. 

It had been hard to sleep yesterday. Hell, Dinah felt like she hadn’t even slept! And heading into the studio this morning was interesting with all the staring. She kept her sunglasses on as she entered the dance studio, ignoring the narrowed eyes of _‘seriously bitch?’_ Zinda sent her way or Barbara’s clearly flushed cheeks. 

She was used to being followed around or talked about, being a celebrity invited it into her lifestyle, but at the studio it had never been like _this_. Dinah calculatedly avoided eye contact with anyone and everyone at work, letting them think she didn’t notice their curious, gossipy stares. She hadn’t had so many people watching her like this since her first Grammy -- even Janitor Bob was eyeing her up with curiosity. 

“Where’s Helena?” Derek was tapping his foot impatiently and Dinah sighed, her heart starting to crack. Helena was never late for things. 

_She definitely knows and she’s avoiding it. Avoiding me._

“I think the fact that every celebrity news site has pictures of her lip-locked with Dinah in the parking lot probably has something to do with it. But hey, I guess we are kind of worldwide trending again so...” Zinda, said matter-of-factly, but Dinah removed her sunglasses to give her friend a look of _‘please fucking shut up’_ before groaning her stress of this particular matter out loud. 

“Ugh. I don’t need this right now, Z. Fuck off.” 

“Dinah, what’s going on?” Barbara raised her eyebrow and asked her. Dinah knew Zinda and Barbara were aching for details. “Are you and Helena like, together?”

Derek looked speechless, clearly having had no clue about that development, and before Barbara can attack her for information, Renee entered the studio and huffed a distinguished sound of ‘Being your fucking agent is fucking tiring, Lance.’ 

“Have any of you heard from Bertinelli?” She was rubbing at the beginnings of a headache at her temple. 

“Nope,” Zinda tightened her ponytail and stretched her arm out, “you’d think if there was a band hook up, Babs and I would know about it _first_ , not _last_. Maybe even be given the courtesy of being told in the first place?” 

“Because that worked so well the last time,” Dinah sarcastically told her. 

“Hey!” Zinda stepped forward, clearly agitated, “I’m just looking out for us!” 

Dinah put a hand on her hip and removed her sunglasses to effectively glower at her friend, “Fuck off Zinda. It’s new, okay, and she - we - wanted it kept on the down low. It’s _our_ business, not yours.” 

“It is my business when I have reporters begging for a comment,” Zinda shot back before sighing and saying more gently, “I’m not upset you guys are together, Dinah, but I don’t like the surprise of it all. I was blindsided and we are already on thin ice as a team considering-” 

She realised the choreographer, Derek was there, and bit her tongue before changing her words. 

“I don’t want to say the wrong thing to the wrong person AGAIN, and jeopardize _that_... Is Helena okay at least?”

Aside from early morning grumpiness and irritated shock, Dinah could tell both Barbara and Zinda _did_ care about Helena. That much was true, and it was her own priority as well. She conceded to trust them. 

“I don’t know, her phone has been going to voicemail since last night... She’s _never_ late… I’m worried,” Dinah chewed her lip thoughtfully, heart swelling with worry and pain for her new girlfriend. 

_Great going Dinah, she’s your girlfriend hardly a weekend and you already screwed it all up._

“Fuck!” Renee almost hissed it out in a stressful manner, “We need to find her. Everyday we are losing money and more than that, the longer we are silent, the crazier this is going to get!”

Dinah lifted her cellphone and tried Terry - Helena’s assistant - but the woman only mentioned Helena had cancelled her day and then asked about Dinah’s dog. After some polite conversation with the woman about dog treats and a promise to send her a photo (and odd looks from Renee, Zinda, and Barbara), Dinah hung up the phone. 

“She cancelled her work for later today too… Let me try Dave - he works for her…”

Before she could get through to Dave, who she exchanged numbers with at the launch party, the studio door opened and Helena walked in with an apologetic look on her face and her riding gear half-off. She looked frazzled with messy hair from her helmet and yawned like she hadn’t slept, but otherwise she seemed totally fine. 

“Sorry I’m late,” she dropped a small backpack on the ground as well as her helmet, unaware of everyone’s concern for her as she kicked off her boots. “Had a crazy morning, this shipment of pipes that has just... nevermind.” 

She was removing her leather pants and jacket, revealing leggings and a tank top over a sports bra, and stumbling around to remove her boots and slip quickly into her shoes (the same way she had stumbled when Dinah had told her to get undressed and lie down). Helena was entirely clueless when she looked up to find everyone’s gaze on her, enough that she self consciously looked down to see if there was something on her before cautiously asking, “What?”

Dinah felt Renee’s eyes on her and she grabbed Helena's hand to tug her outside of the room and away from everyone. 

“Dinah what-” Helena went with her, confused and frowning, “I have your coffee in my backpack if you want it?”

Dinah kicked the bathroom door open, making sure they were alone, and then locked it before turning on Helena. 

“First, that’s very sweet that you brought me coffee-”

“I mean, I said I would. If I fuck that up after being your girlfriend hardly two days how am I supposed to last more than two years?” Helena sounded amused and looked so sweet and confused that it made it even harder for Dinah to have to tell her. 

“H,” Dinah reached up to cup her cheek, her thumb gently brushing the pale skin in a soothing motion. 

“What’s wrong?” Helena finally seemed to understand her tone of voice before realization drew on her face, “They know, don’t they? Renee totally saw us come out of the recording studio.”

“Yes but she would never tell,” Dinah sighed before unlocking her phone and showing Helena the screen. Helena gently plucked it from her fingers and furrowed her brow as she read it before looking sharply up at Dinah. Saying she was shocked was putting it mildly. 

“Oh shit.” 

“Yeah.”

“I looked around - there was _no_ one before I… oh fuck, how could I have been so careless?”

Dinah rubbed a bare arm soothingly, stepping closer for comfort, “Baby-”

“I need to go Dinah,” Helena was abrupt as she urgently moved, backing away from her, “I need to go right _now_.” 

“H?”

“I just need to-” Helena was unlocking the door and Dinah was on her heels as they headed back into the studio where an impatient Renee, worried Zinda, curious Barbara, and an uncomfortable Derek were waiting for them. 

She handed Dinah her phone back along with a thermos of coffee before she quickly put her gear back on, kicking her dance sneakers off carelessly and fumbling rapidly back into her riding boots. 

“Hey! Where the hell do you think you’re going?” Renee asked her, but Helena didn't reply, grabbing her helmet and practically running out of there and leaving. 

Dinah sighed, looking down at the thermos of coffee her girlfriend made her and back at the three pairs of accusatory eyes. 

“What?”

“Where the fuck did she go?” Renee asked, gesturing to the door Helena had run back out of. “What the fuck!”

Dinah shrugged, concerned at the way Helena rushed out as if she needed to deal with something. “Listen. Let’s call it a day. Derek, just work the dance crew through their routines, we can pick up from there tomorrow. I got to go.” 

“We are on a _fucking_ schedule,” Renee hissed to the ceiling. “Fuck I need a drink.” 

To her relief, Babs and Zinda didn’t object and Derek for once didn’t throw any kind of tantrum about his time. 

“Is she going to be okay?” Zinda asked again, concern written on her face. “I failed as her friend before, I won't do that again, Dinah. Please tell us.”

“I don’t know, she clearly had no idea until I showed her the photo and article just now, and then she just said she had to leave,” Dinah confided to them, leaning into the hug Barbara gave her. “I’m going to go find her, see what’s up.” 

“We have her back this time no matter what,” Barbara said. “Let’s go find her. Together.” 

With determination, Dinah grabbed her things - coffee thermos included - and left the studio with her friends. Renee looked pissed off but offered her car so they wouldn’t be followed and made a dramatic sigh about it before heading to her office where Dinah knew the woman would be on the phone dealing with their shit. 

/

“Dave doesn’t know anything either,” Dinah hung up the phone after finishing with him, annoyed that she wouldn't know where Helena rushed off to that wasn’t work or her house. “He just said they had some pipe shipment fuck up that took her attention yesterday and late into the evening… Fuck it, we are going to her place. Take the forty-nine out of the city.” 

“She doesn’t live in the city?” Barbara asked, merging lanes to the exit ahead while Dinah tried Helena’s phone again. 

Babs and Zinda did not say anything more during the ride, while Dinah kept unsuccessfully calling Helena. 

As she told Babs where to turn, Dinah breathed a massive sigh of relief when they saw Helena’s motorcycle parked there. She was home. 

They rushed out of the car to the front door and Dinah knocked but there was no answer. 

She was about to call out to Helena, until they all heard a loud crash from inside, much like the first time she came over. Finding the doorknob was unlocked, she opened it and stepped through the door. She remembered the first time she came to find Helena here, upset with the woman’s avoidance, and her heart sinks with the memory when she doesn’t find Helena cursing a dropped pot.

Instead she finds it’s _destroyed_ inside. 

The house was a total mess, there were broken dishes and shards of glass scattered everywhere. The living room bookshelf was pushed over, with books and pages torn and thrown. Dinah gasped at the sight of it all, but Barbara gasped even louder. 

All Dinah could think about was Helena, that she hoped she was okay. A clanging outside alerted them where to run to next.

Dinah was not prepared for the sight of Helena angrily smashing a metal pipe against everything in her small garage, an uncontrolled fit of rage as she yelled and smashed things on a rampage of destruction. 

On one hand, it was a relief to find out Helena had been the one to destroy everything in her house, and she had not been attacked. On the other hand, Dinah had no clue what pent up rage issues Helena had kept inside of her that led to _this_. 

Helena was raising her pipe but paused, her eyes wide as she saw the three of them staring back at her. No one said anything. Helena’s eyes were clouded with tears and the pipe clanged noisily as it landed on the cement ground of the garage, slipping from her trembling fingers. Helena slumped down to her knees and sobbed, the heel of her hands pressing hard against her leaking eyes. 

The cracks in Dinah’s heart splinter as it breaks, the sight of Helena’s pain was so strong she felt it like it was hers. 

Quietly, she approached and kneeled beside her friend and lover to hug her in a close, gentle hold. She was glad Helena leaned into her and didn't push her away. 

Quietly, Zinda and Barbara took their own seats nearby her, hands squeezing their distraught friend in comfort and support, rubbing her back. 

Finally, Helena allowed herself to break down. 

/

Eventually, Helena’s sobs left her body. Dinah combed fingers soothingly through the stark, dark hair that had ended up on her lap. 

“You really went all Godzilla on this place, H.” It was Barbara who said it, and they all chuckled, breaking some of the lingering tension. Helena lifted her neck off of Dinah’s thighs and sat up. They were all sitting in a circle, and she wiped her eyes free of tears, though they stayed red. 

“I’m sorry you had to see that, and sorry I uh, left earlier,” Helena’s voice was rough from her crying. “I haven’t cried since my parents died. Maybe it was a long time coming...” 

The statement brought the tension back - everyone knew Helena’s parents died when she was ten. 

“I cry almost every month, sometimes a whole lot in a month.” Barbara gasped dramatically, “How much have you bottled up?”

“Not everyone cries like you and your dramatic actress ass, Babs,” Dinah teased her. 

“Yeah, twice a year at most for me… and don’t be sorry, H,” Zinda reached forward and hugged Helena tightly before leaning back to say, “We just care that you’re okay.”

“Yeah,” Barbara reached in for a hug next, “I know this started for the tour but… I’m more grateful you’re letting me back in your life. That we can be friends again.” 

“Oh.” Helena looked surprised and almost confused about it. 

Dinah doesn’t know who started it, but suddenly everyone was hugging each other, with Helena in the centre who was hugging them back. 

After the therapeutic moment of The Group Hug, they stood up and dusted themselves off. Helena took in the state of her garage to try to explain what exactly they walked in on. 

“My Uncle and Aunt… they… I never told them,” Helena confessed softly, “My phone was off, ran out of battery while Dave and I dealt with these _fucking_ pipes and I missed… but on the home phone they left me a voicemail. Said I’m no longer welcome around my cousins and… they don’t… they don’t want me coming around anymore.” 

Dinah curled her arms around a lean waist and didn't think twice about Zinda and Barbara seeing her kiss Helena’s cheek to soothingly tell her, “Baby… it'll be okay.”

Helena’s body relaxed into her. 

“I never came out to them. You _know_ my Aunt, how stubborn she is and close-minded...” Helena hugged her back tightly with one arm and sighed a painful breath, her voice cracking, “She said my parents would have disowned me for this.” 

Dinah hugged her a little tighter, laying her cheek to Helena’s shoulder. “Ouch, that’s fucking harsh.”

Helena’s Aunt Isabelle was a famous Italian actress in soaps and dramas, and when their family moved to Hollywood, she starred in a few famous and classic mafia movies, earning a lot of critical acclaim. She had connections that helped recommend Helena for auditions in modelling, wanting her niece to be an actress like her, and she stepped in to be Helena’s mother when her sister’s tragic passing left her niece an orphan. 

She had been a figure that all the girls knew: a birthday night sleepover at Helena’s, and her famous beauty tips and skincare suggestions. Dinah had found Isabelle so cool and charismatic. Now her view of the woman was becoming disillusioned. 

“So fucking what,” Zinda’s hand was on Helena’s shoulder, “Your parents aren’t here, Helena. You can’t feel guilty because you’re in love. My family came around when they found out, yours will too, and if they don’t, you don’t _need_ them.”

Helena stepped back from Dinah and looked her friend in the eyes, shaking her head, “You don’t _understand_ , Zinda. I _know_ I’m gay, I’ve accepted it about myself after a lot of struggle. But especially when you both turned your back on me, my family was always there for me. Sunday dinners with my cousins… my Aunt and Uncle helped me start up my business, and supported me after our band broke up! They took me in after my parents _died_. My Aunt is how I even got _hired_ for Birds Of Prey and met you guys!”

Dinah rubbed a hand between Helena’s shoulders, watching the air in Zinda’s chest deflate.

“I wanted to tell them on my own terms and they found out like _this_. Always this, this fucking _fame_ that ruins _everything_! It ruined our band! It ruined my - there was a reason I wanted to stay away from all of this and now nothing is ever going to be private for me _ever_ again! Fuck!”

Her anger was justified, and Dinah felt it herself. They had hardly had a weekend alone together before it was ruined. 

Dinah smoothed her hands over Helena’s cheeks and turned her head gently to calm her down, “Hey, babe. Come on… Don’t be like that… Zinda didn’t mean it that way.”

Helena blinked and her lip trembled for a moment before she tightly shut her eyes like a kid trying not to look at a scary monster in the closet - and Dinah would be totally offended if Helena hadn’t sunk forward into her touch, sighing before relaxing and nodding at the ground where she was now standing. 

“I’m… I’m sorry, Z...” 

“Don’t worry about it,” Zinda smiled back at her, much brighter with Helena using her nickname, “You’re right… I guess I didn’t understand.” 

“You don’t need to be sorry H,” Barbara spoke gently. “If we - fuck, if _I_ had been a better friend you wouldn’t have been going through all that shit alone in the first place...” 

Dinah rolled to her toes to kiss a worried forehead before gently kissing Helena’s cheek again. The cat was out of the bag and she didn’t care about Barbara and Zinda as she wound her arms around Helena’s waist and comforted her with another hug. Helena hugged her back, clinging tightly as if Dinah was all she had. Dinah felt more emotion and love in that hug than she ever felt in her entire life, and she hugged back just as fiercely - committing herself and feeling her heart swell with understanding. 

So this was what all the love songs talked about. She finally got it. 

With determination to be Helena’s rock and partner and fucking everything she needed, Dinah made a decision. 

“Pack a bag, babe, we are going to my place,” Dinah leaned back from their intimate hug, smiling warmly at Helena’s beautiful face and smoothing her thumbs along cheekbones. “Okay?”

Helena let out a sigh, her shoulders rising up the few inches they had fallen from sullen disposition and back into a stronger cadence that had them all relieved. She nodded. 

“Give me a few minutes,” she requested her friends before smiling the same way she used to when Barbara would accuse Zinda of eating all her sour candies on tour (a soft fondness for her friends they had not seen her give them in ages), “and let’s get back to rehearsal. We don’t have time to waste and our fans are counting on us to not suck on tour.” 

Zinda laughed, sharp and loud, “Babs needs to work on that.” 

“Bitch.”

Dinah kissed Helena’s cheek one more time, helpless to hold herself back as she laughed with her friends.

/

Back at the studio, Helena was a different entity during rehearsal. She showed no sign of being bothered with the whispers or glances from what felt like everyone, while Dinah offered a few pointed ‘fuck off’ stares when eyes lingered too long. 

During the dancing, Helena seemed a lot lighter and even like she was enjoying herself more today. Like she was free of a lot of baggage, like she didn’t need to hold back anymore. Dinah had been caught staring a few too many times, always by her assistant and sometimes by an annoyed Renee who definitely smelled like a bottle of whiskey today. 

“Water?” Alistor, her incredibly intuitive assistant, smiled warmly at her while handing her a bottle. 

“Thanks,” Dinah accepted it, eyes glued to Helena who hit the floor in a practiced hip-hop knee slide forward before jumping up and showing Zinda the correct footwork for their last turn. 

“So… you need me to do anything?”

“Anything?” She blinked and turned to Alistor, confused. 

“Whenever you date someone… the usual stuff? Find you secret date spots, book a hotel room?” Alistor looked awkward as he asked her, and she had to laugh. Her assistant had always helped her get laid in the past on the hush-hush. He apparently had no idea what she was doing with Helena. 

“No, I got it covered Alistor, thanks. Helena is mine to handle… she’s special. She’ll be staying with me, no need for a hotel...” Dinah chuckled but made sure he understood, “Just handle the tour shit and get Derek to smile or something? His mood is extra rough today.”

Alistor was the one to chuckle now as he lowly whispered back, “Well _obviously_ , his crush on you was no secret to anyone. He’s a little heartbroken to find out he wasn’t the dancer you were going to kiss after all.” 

“Crush on me?” Dinah frowned. Not Derek the drill sergeant choreographer? Honestly she had thought he was gay because of how tight his shirts were - not that she should stereotype.

_Oh_ , Dinah realised suddenly, _tight shirts to show off his muscles and all the times he made sure to demonstrate with his hands on my…_ _Oh shit_. 

“Why do you think he’s been trying so hard to impress you with the choreography?”

Dinah glanced over her assistant’s shoulder and sure enough she saw Derek watching her with his usual sad puppy eyes, eyes which she honestly had thought were about her being off schedule until now. 

“Hey.” Helena was next to both of them with Zinda by her side, and Dinah saw Derek cross his arms petulantly before storming off to yell at the other dancers to get ready. She raised an eyebrow at Alistor who shrugged his shoulder. Dinah groaned. 

Dancers and tour drama. Every. Single. Time. 

“Hey babe,” she didn’t care that the room of dancers could hear her term of endearment or see the hand she curled up the back of Helena’s neck and up into her hair before biting her lip flirtatiously. “You good?”

Helena’s grin was light as she nodded. Dinah winked and dropped her hand, taking another sip of water. 

“Where’s Babs?” Zinda leaned an arm on Helena’s shoulder to balance her weight before stretching her legs. 

“She went to go see Renee and the agents about making sure the schedule meets all our demands.”

“Babs? Our Babs?” Zinda whispered lowly, “Advocating for her friends? Is this an alternate universe?”

Dinah and Helena snorted with her in jest. 

“Zinda and I are going to grab something to eat, you want-”

“Puh- _lease_ sneak me a fucking donut and I will _kiss_ you, H. Don’t let Alistor catch you.” 

“I’m right here,” Alistor rolled his eyes. “And I am not your diet boss Dinah, you just told me to remind you no donuts until the tour is over.” 

Zinda laughed and Helena smiled sweetly before leaving with Zinda, both speaking in hushed whispers and cackles. 

Dinah smiled, watching her friends and how Zinda rolled her eyes at something Helena said, punching her playfully as the door swung behind them - it was good to have the band back. For _real_ this time. She had missed her friends so much. In this kind of business, genuine friends were rare. 

She decided to ignore the newfound knowledge of Derek’s crush and instead get back to rehearsal.

Regardless of her sexuality being a National News Topic, she was going to give the best damn tour of her life and have the best fucking time doing it too. 

/

Helena was an insanely quiet house guest, but her presence was calming. They had gone straight from the studio back to hers (and yes she had gotten her double chocolate dipped donut and kiss too), and after heating up what her personal chef had prepared for her dinner with instructions to have enough for two people instead of one and left in her fridge, Helena had yet to say more than two words. 

“You want some more food babe?” Dinah asked her. Dinner was the quietest affair. Not awkward quiet, though maybe she was worried if Helena was still heartbroken about her family fallout in the morning. 

“No,” Helena smiled softly, shaking her head. “Thanks.”

Dinah smiled back, “I really like your smile.”

Helena smiled wider, a red hue to her cheeks. 

“I really like it when you call me ‘babe,’” Helena admitted shyly after another beat of silence. 

“Oh you do, huh?” Dinah was tired, really tired from all the dancing, but she craved Helena’s skin again. 

“Dinah.” 

“Yeah, _babe_?” she emphasised the ‘babe’ playfully, reaching over her dining table to hold Helena’s hand atop it. 

Helena looked at her with so much warmth and simply said, “Thank you for… just thank you.” 

“Always,” Dinah promised her, not needing her to say more. “How about we get ready for bed? It’s been a long and exhausting day.”

/

Helena tossed the towel in the hamper, glancing around Dinah’s master bathroom. She felt emotionally exhausted - which, admittedly, throwing everything around her house in an emotionally driven frenzy, breaking glass and wrecking furniture had felt really good. 

She had bottled it all up inside, a ticking time bomb knowing her Aunt and Uncle would react that way from their personal opinions over the years. Yet still, a part of her had hoped they might have changed. More than that, she hoped they loved her enough to want to try harder. There had been so much progression in the last decade, so much more acceptance, but the voice of her Uncle requesting she stay away had been a clear line drawn and the rejection had crushed Helena and caused her to erupt in a furious carnage. 

She watched her reflection in the mirror, leaning over the expensive marble she had furnished for Dinah -- an off-white, laced with gold flecks. Dinah liked gold (a lot) and Helena had put the most work out of any other project into finding her the perfect combination. 

In spite of everything crazy going on in the last twenty four hours - the paparazzi photos; her Aunt and Uncle deciding she was unfit to be considered family because of her homosexuality - Helena found the first genuine and ecstatic smile gracing her lips as she realised she was _with_ Dinah. Like _with her_ kind of with her. 

Dinah Lance was her fucking girlfriend, and yes, the fucking was a huge part of it. 

She, the pathetic girl who always came up with reasons to come over to ‘work’ on this house, the hopelessly infatuated fool who took her sweet time to be as slow as possible when she was in this very bathroom because Dinah would make them espresso and talk to her while she worked… God, how she used to berate herself for being so silly to crush on her straight friend (her closest friend in a lot of ways, like a lesbian cliche), guiltily letting her eyes linger too long on Dinah when the woman was on the phone rolling her eyes or complaining about her hairdresser while bending forward to primp her gorgeous hair in the mirror. 

One time she had talked about how she groomed her eyebrows for a whole forty-five minutes and Helena had listened to every single word, and even let Dinah touch hers up just to be close. 

_Jesus I was so pathetic_ , Helena rolled her eyes at herself. 

Furnishing this gold bathroom should have taken a week, but Helena had let it take two and half. With no shame. She didn’t charge Dinah extra, she just let time drag on to stay close. And even though she knew Dinah could well afford it, she kept things as inexpensive as possible. 

After over a decade of pining, and some utterly shameless fantasizing, Helena _had_ Dinah. Had her in the kitchen and again in the woman’s bed, had the chance to cook for her and then feel the weight of her affection, figuratively and literally. She had a family taken away from her but was given something more precious and important, and knew if given the choice, she would pick Dinah over them any time. 

It was a lot, and she was committed to not mess it up. So while it hurt that her family was turning their back on her, Helena knew in her heart where she was meant to be. She wanted Dinah, and to be The Dinah Lance’s partner would be demanding: Dinah was the biggest singer in North America and a global icon. 

With a nod of determination in the mirror, she combed her damp hair back with fingers to give it a sexy, messy look, and exited the bathroom. 

“Hey,” she found Dinah sitting on a stool in front of her gorgeous dark oak dresser, smoothing bits of lotion on her body after having braided her long blonde-dyed hair for sleep. 

“Hey, how was your beauty routine? Did you finish all one hundred steps?” Dinah teased her, referring to her regimented skincare routine. 

Helena laughed before standing behind Dinah. She leaned down to bring her lips to the slope of Dinah’s neck in a butterfly kiss, bare from braided hair. Bracketing her arms on the dresser as she did so, Dinah sighed from her touch so Helena pressed her lips firmer. Dinah craned her neck to permit further access. 

“Some of us don’t have the one-step routine of just existing to be so beautiful,” she murmured, eyes on Dinah’s pleased smile in the mirror as she whispered it in an ear. 

Dinah laughed, catching her eyes in the mirror with a look of pure lust, “Who knew you were so cheesy… You trying to get me into bed? Because it’s working…”

Dinah’s fingers were in her hair, tugging her down, and Helena couldn’t stop herself from moaning when her lips were taken in a bruising kiss. 

With Dinah sitting on her upholstered footstool, Helena had no desire to get to the bed just yet as her eyes caught their reflection in the mirror. The way Dinah’s eyes closed as they kissed, the way their mouths fit so perfectly together… The way Dinah’s silky robe had slid open, showing off a blue nightgown from which breasts spilled - the same one she had been wearing when she sent Helena a picture of her legs and gave Helena a lot to think about. 

Reaching between them, Helena released Dinah’s lips and kissed her jaw as she slid her hand under the short robe and between Dinah’s legs. 

Dinah stiffened and then gasped, parting her legs and looking into the mirror, watching Helena watching her. 

“You’re so warm and wet,” Helena whispered, heart beating fast at the evidence of what effect _she_ had on Dinah. She had done this and she prayed to be the only one Dinah ever needed again. 

Dinah whimpered as she massaged over the fabric of her soft underwear, feeling how much Dinah needed her was utterly intoxicating and she pressed her fingers deliberately harder against a swollen sex. 

“Fuck,” Dinah breathed out, voice cracking. It was so sexy and Helena had to close her eyes. It was too much. 

Dinah’s hand gripped her hair tightly as Helena opted to slip her fingers inside of her from the side of the fabric, entering with a gentle curve of her fingers and cupping with her palm. 

More intense than the way Dinah took her fingers in, so ready and willing, was the look exchanged between them when Helena opened her eyes and met Dinah’s in the mirror. Without words Helena knew exactly what Dinah was thinking, and she closed her teeth over her bottom lip, promising her and adoring her all the same. 

With the angle, she scissored her fingers inside, and circled her thumb over a clit. It was slow and careful, and Dinah’s breathing started to get heavy. She was panting and gasping and Helena could feel her walls begging her for release. 

“You’re so beautiful,” she told Dinah, grazing her nose into her ear and gripping the dresser tightly before thrusting deeper inside and pressing the spot her fingers had discovered made Dinah peak. 

“Oh fuck!” Dinah gasped out as she came, her head lolling back and lips parting as her chest and neck arched. 

Helena kissed her jawline gently, breathing her scent in and sighing. 

“Helena, that was so hot,” Dinah’s fingers slid from her hair and then trailed down her forearm, holding the fingers inside of her to stay there, “Mhmmm… I love when you fuck me like that.”

Helena furrowed her brow in confusion, this was the first time she had fucked Dinah like this, in front of her dresser and at this angle. 

Dinah giggled, clarifying it for her, “Like you’re _in_ me… like you know exactly what I need...” 

“Oh,” Helena bit her bottom lip and met Dinah’s eyes with confidence, “I like being in you.” 

“Good,” Dinah’s eyes matched hers and Helena slid her fingers gently out as Dinah stood up to tell her, “My turn.” 

It was after some giggling that they lay in bed under the covers. Helena melted into every kiss Dinah gave her, feeling warm and content from the inside out. 

Dinah snuck a hand up her shirt, flicking her fingers against Helena’s nipples and driving her crazy. There was something sweet about rolling on top of Dinah and feeling the coolness of Dinah’s hands on her ribs and breasts as they kissed in soft, fresh sheets. Helena had never done this, just rocked her body with another, grinding and finding herself on the cusp of relief against a thigh. 

_Not that it was just any thigh_ , it was Dinah’s. The same thigh she loved having wrapped around her waist and holding her prisoner. The thighs Dinah showed off in that music video Helena had watched one too many times-

“Dinah, I’m…” she gasped out from the kiss, eyes looking down at Dinah’s face. Hands squeezed her breasts and Helena needed friction which Dinah seemed to understand as she smoothed her palms down her sides and into her pants to grip her skin, making her grind closer, and harder. 

“It’s okay, baby,” Dinah encouraged her, “Can you come like this?”

Helena nodded, letting out a soft groan as strong fingers and blunt nails curved tightly into her ass to bring them even closer still. 

She had been really wet and worked up from watching Dinah’s orgasm in front of the dresser; from the feel of Dinah taking her fingers and cumming for _her_ ; from the emotional turmoil of the day; and the gratitude of having a girlfriend this damn amazing and beautiful and perfect, letting her literally get off on her calling her babe and baby and- 

Dinah raised her thigh and told her, “That’s it… good girl.” 

“Fuck!” she staggered on her arms as her body convulsed and tensed. 

Dinah’s hands, now warm and soft, trailed up her back and gently rubbed her as lips took her own again. 

This time the kiss was even softer, and Helena let her weight lower before rolling off of Dinah and to the side. 

“Holy shit. I just…”

“You've never done that before?” Dinah giggled, raising her brow in an almost smug taunt. 

“Fucked a thigh, no can’t say I have,” Helena turned her head to the side and rolled her eyes as Dinah playfully brushed her own shoulder free of imaginary lint. 

“I never miss leg day babe, don’t be ashamed my quads did it for ya.”

Helena giggled, turning onto her side fully and reaching a hand to gently touch the captivating curve of Dinah’s neck. 

“How did I get so lucky?”

Dinah’s smile softened, “How are you-” she moved close and kissed her once, “so,” twice, “fucking,” thrice with a slip of tongue and soft whisper, “sweet?”

Helena stole a kiss of her own, heart warm and fuzzy from the intimacy. 

“Even with clothes on that was special. Everything with you is special,” she told her, eyes shining with an emotion Dinah was hit with. 

After a beat of silence as their breathing slowed down, Dinah smiled in contentment. She could feel adoring eyes on her face, and she felt loved. 

She took Helena’s hand from her neck to kiss the palm sweetly. “How are you feeling?”

“Better,” Helena promised, taking a deep breath. 

“I’m sorry things went down the way they did...” Dinah touched a jawline, brushing her thumb along it. Helena turned her body to face her. 

“What are we going to do about our relationship?”

“What do you mean?” She paused her caress to ask. 

“I mean…” Helena hesitated briefly, “there’s a photo of us kissing and you’re the biggest singer in the country… What do you need from me?” 

“Oh. That,” Dinah shrugged, “If I lose some fans then they weren’t real fans and, honestly, I always knew there was a risk of rumour, not like I've really tried to hide it, I just haven’t talked about it publicly… or there was always a chance any girl I slept with before would want to become a storyline and seek fifteen minutes of fame… Renee and I talked those things over. I never planned on falling for you and getting caught in a parking lot. Fucking paps.”

Helena looked down to the pillow and picked at its silk casing, the idea of others being with Dinah was not a good feeling, and she tried not to think of other women. 

“I can’t imagine being without you knowing that I have you now, so… I should be asking _you_ that question, Miss ‘I Hate That My Life Isn’t Private Anymore’,” Dinah cupped her cheek, smoothing her thumb along a sculpted cheekbone with an understanding smile. (Helena’s upset at the thought of others sleeping with Dinah disappeared with her words and care.) She looked up with hope. 

“So you and me?”

“Girlfriends?”

Helena smiled. 

“Partners?”

Helena smiled wider, rolling her eyes. 

“Lovers? Favourite fuck?” Dinah kissed her quickly. “Because, girl, you give good fuck.”

Helena looked smug, “I mean ‘favourite fuck’ definitelay has a nice ring to it- ow!’

“I’m serious here,” Dinah giggled after she had pinched Helena, moving closer to kiss her quickly again and then leaned on her shoulder. 

“You brought it up,” Helena giggled back, loving the way Dinah’s hand went up her stomach. 

“You’re also a great pillow to sleep on…part-time pillow princess to sit on- agh! Helena stop!”

There was giggling and tickling and after a few struggling breaths, Dinah trapped Helena’s wrists to smugly look down and declare, “I supposed we can just say we’re gals being pals?”

The mirth and grin she saw on Helena’s face made this moment somehow the happiest Dinah had ever felt, happier than the first Grammy… it was powerful. She dismounted and cuddled back into Helena. 

“Tickle me again and I’ll have to tie you up.”

“Is that supposed to make me want to not tickle you?” Helena teased her, arms coming up around Dinah, “Just tell the media I’m your captive then.” 

“Bitch got funny all of a sudden,” Dinah chuckled, closing her eyes. Helena hummed, closing her eyes too as calmness washed over them and their cuddle. 

“You’re okay with me talking about us?” Dinah asked quietly, “I mean, if I need to make a statement or something…”

“Yeah,” Helena cracked an eye open, surprised to hear Dinah’s concern, “of _course_.”

“You sure? Because I don’t want to scare you off with labels.” Dinah shared her fear, “I want this to work out with you… you’re the one I want.” 

“Dinah,” Helena opened both eyes and boldly told her, “I know what I said about hating fame but… if it wasn’t for Birds Of Prey I would have never met you, and you are too talented to be anything less than a superstar, and I… I never in my wildest dreams actually _thought_ you could like me back. And here we are, and I wouldn’t change a thing. I would do anything to make you happy. I want to be with you too, whatever it takes. I want to be someone you’re proud to be with.” 

“Oh,” Dinah’s worry washed away and she shyly looked down, touched by Helena’s devotion. After a beat of silence she looked up to tease her again, “So you’re fine with tabloids calling you my favourite fuck then? I’m going with that one. It rolls off the tongue.”

“If you really want to roll your tongue, be my guest,” Helena teased her back with a suggestive eyebrow. 

“Well, well, well,” Dinah looked up at her, shocked, “Look who isn’t stuttering and flushing. Helena Bertinelli, I think I will.” 

Helena laughed loud and free, and Dinah laughed with her, finding her the most beautiful she’d ever been, before sliding down along her body and under the sheet to do exactly as playfully suggested and roll her tongue in her favourite fuck. 

///

“Helena! It is _so_ great to have you back here,” Harleen said, giving her a hug on the stage in front of the screaming audience. 

Helena returned it briefly before taking a seat on the armchair across from her. She had called Harley and asked if Harley wanted to interview her before her tour, since the news and gossip about her and Dinah had increased ten fold in the last week like crazy. She meant what she said to Dinah. Having stayed away from fame in the last decade, if she wanted to support Dinah’s career and they wanted to be together, she was going to make an effort. 

Twitter was crazy and speculating, other social media was trending with them, and every major gossip or talk show had mentioned it before their band reunion. Renee was begging her to get a Twitter still, and with the tour starting in a couple of weeks, Dinah had been too busy to make any comment or official statement, not wanting to bring it up 

Harleen rescheduled a football player to accommodate her that week immediately, saying Helena was a sweetheart and a real friend for letting her get the scoop first. Helena trusted Harleen, that’s all there was to it. 

“So, my good friend, you have really set the world on fire this week.”

“I’ve heard,” Helena smirked, shocked when the audience screamed so loudly her ears rang. 

“Don’t mind our audience today-” the screaming continued on a whole new decibel, “they’re just pumped about that.” 

Helena had seen the picture already, but to see it again on a big screen with a room full of screaming people and her friend’s teasing smirk was kind of embarrassing. 

“So _my_ first question is, why do you stay off of social media?”

“Personal preference.” 

“Cool. And how are you balancing work and the tour?”

This time there was old footage showing her dancing and Helena blushed from the pink suspenders she was wearing (because they were the same suspenders Dinah had tied her up with and then taken charge). She gulped. 

Still, she relaxed a lot, knowing Harleen was creating a story and fuller picture for the audience to see before diving into the topic everyone wanted to know. 

Her attire was simple for today, tight black jeans with leather stilettos (the ones she had worn to their launch party and left at Dinah’s by accident) and a dark purple cashmere top that fit her very tightly. It was the fall time, and the hair and makeup team had given her a smokey eye that she had to admit looked great. 

“It was tough at first,” Helena said very diplomatically. “But it was a band decision and we were all making it work… Barbara just wrapped up a movie, Zinda’s mid album, and Dinah's got her tour on top. So we all made it work, I have a good team. Good friends.”

And she meant the last part, having felt the support from Zinda and Barbara.

“You picked up a pretty big development project right?” Harley asked her. 

Helena quirked her eyebrow at that, not sure where the interview was going with this line of questioning, “Um, yeah, yeah we did.”

“The Star Labs’ new facility downtown, right?”

“Yeah.”

“I heard you had some crazy scheduling and shipment problems with pipes, and you _still_ made sure the tour was figured out. I spoke with the Chairman of Star Labs and he said you were going above and beyond! One thing I respect about you, Huntress, is you get shit done.” 

“Thanks,” Helena said, appreciating the compliment and the way Harley was making sure to paint her in a professional light before bringing up the fact she was fucking her bandmate. 

“So, last time you were on here, you were with your band, announcing the reunion of everyone’s dreams-”

The crowd screamed again and Helena had to smile. Their fans were loyal. Sometimes crazy (like the dude who tattooed Zinda on his butt), but incredibly loyal and loud. 

“- Trust me, being your friend and doing a book club with you was kind of surreal at first. Did you know I had a crush on you?”

“What?” Helena’s eyebrows rose tremendously at this, not sure if Harleen was joking. 

There were wolf-whistles and Harleen leaned back, coyly adjusting her thick black glasses and crossing her legs, “Yes! _Teenage_ me - thank you very much - was super into you. Way before we were friends in real life. Almost didn’t recognize when we met!” 

Helena laughed, seeing the twinkle in her friend’s eyes, still shy. 

“Can you blame me? You were always ranked the hottest. I mean, a lot of guys and gals had it bad!” She gestured to the screen and Helena had to cringe. 

Photos of her showing off her midriff. Photo-shoots, modelling in catalogues.

Helena flushed. 

“So, tell me about your love life, Huntress? Hot, rich, famous again...”

Helena covered her face as the audience got even rowdier. She had fully expected the interview to have her answer what she and Dinah had agreed on earlier - she never thought her friend would go this route, embarrassing her and lauding her at the same time. 

When she removed her hand she knew she was smiling and red-cheeked, and she did the closest thing to gushing in her life. 

“I do have a special lady in my life, yes,” she admitted out loud. 

At this, the screams were so loud Helena didn’t hear Harleen’s next question. 

“What?” She leaned forward, cupping her ears to hear better. 

“Settle down people,” Harleen jokes, “Now, as a close friend of yours, I’ve known about you and who you are for a long time, that you’re a lesbian...”

Helena nodded, maintaining her cool at the label, “Yeah, of course. You’re one of the few friends I have. You’re queer too, it’s something we’ve bonded over...” 

“Aw,” Harleen feigned emotional tears and fanning over her face before teasing her, “and I never told you about my crush until we were on national TV discussing yours!”

Helena laughed with the crowd, and either it was because she was her authentic self for the first time in her public life, or because she knew Dinah would have found this hilarious too. But she never felt so proud in her life as she did in that moment. She was out, she was with Dinah, and the world didn’t end. 

Dreams do come true. 

“Yeah. Well,” Helena softened her voice, “I’ve crushed on Dinah since I was sixteen.”

As she told her story, not the words she intended but the truth nonetheless, Helena felt compelled to be honest and open for the fans that believed in her. 

“What!”

“Yeah,” Helena spared the details for the sake of her band but continued, “We've been friends all these years but where we are in life right now is aligned, so we decided to explore our feelings for each other now that we’re older, more mature… and yeah.” 

She didn’t declare anything further, just shrugged a bit. 

“So friends to more than friends in a decade?”

Helena’s white teeth shone in the studio lighting, she almost forgot she was in a taping, “More or less.”

“I got more questions but we are running out of time!”

Everyone booed and Helena leaned back, chuckling. 

“You built her house?”

Helena nodded. 

“Because you wanted to date her?”

Helena rolled her eyes but allowed Harleen a noncommittal shrug like it was no big deal, “I think it helped my chances, yeah.” 

As the laughter died down, Harleen asked her last two questions together, “Okay so does this mean Dinah Lance can join our book club because it’s _Dinah Lance_ , and also how’s it going to be on tour and everything together?”

“I think it’ll be fun, Zinda will probably pull a lot of pranks again.”

“And book club? Can all the Birds Of Prey join us?”

“Barbara will be there if there’s food, Zinda if the wine is good… Dinah likes to read comics so maybe if that’s on the list?”

//

“What the fucking fuck,” Renee was smiling, ear-to-ear happy, “Your weird antisocial ass actually pulled it off! That interview was fan- _fucking-_ good-whiskey-tastic!”

“Ouch. She called my last interview a bad whiskey,” Dinah rolled her eyes but came behind Helena to drape her arms over her shoulder and kiss her cheek, “Good job, babe. I’ll watch it later.” 

“Helena, purple is totally your colour,” Barbara complimented around her pizza, “And you called me out accurately. That was the best interview I’ve ever seen.”

“Girl, I need you on my Instagram more, fans are going ballistic,” Zinda looked up from her phone, happy. “If you aren't getting your own I’m using you on mine.” 

Helena smiled back, proud of herself for pulling off an interview that had actually made her really nervous and done what she intended: been positive for Dinah. 

“You should do more interviews with Dinah,” Renee was already thinking ahead, of all the buzz they would get as a couple, “You guys are going to be bigger than Bruce and Selina! Nice going Bertinelli, you ain’t as fucking useless or stiff as I thought!”

“Do you always talk like an Agent from a bad eighties movie?” Helena asked her. 

“ _Fuck_ you!”

///

The weeks had made way to a routine both comforting and surreal to Helena. She went into the studio every morning with Dinah to join Barbara and Zinda in their practice (brewing a thermos of morning coffee the way Dinah loved it), had lunch with Zinda and Babs joking around (it made her feel like a teenager again), dipped out with Dinah’s car to the worksite to make sure things were up to speed (now that people knew about her going to Star Labs for work, there were always paparazzi or fans wanting photos and autographs outside the site), then she would get back in time to wait for Dinah to finish and steal a kiss, before taking an exhausted Dinah home and reluctantly agreeing that her personal chef cooked well and made things convenient for them.

Living with Dinah was simple, and it felt like she belonged there in that bed and in those toned, soft arms. It was domestic and a dream come true. It was bliss. 

Today, she had stuck around later at the studio to run through her routine with Dinah for the one song she was substituting in on and the rest - having skipped most rehearsals lately because of work but knowing the routine well enough - the lifts and spins were simple enough for her, and Derek was less particular lately than he had been before about demanding she be there more.

Dinah had told him to fuck off, in as many words and let Helena be, and because they had practiced it privately and Helena knew the routine whenever she stopped by, Derek had fucked off. (She had practiced at home with Dinah quite a few times and even though they made out and fucked after it every _single_ time, she was sure they could handle being professional for practice in front of people). 

Helena had gotten to know a few of the backup dancers, but the guys that had been chatting to her before everyone found out about her and Dinah seemed to be keeping their distance now, not that she minded. But the whole day spent at the local stadium they were kicking off their tour in instead of the studio made it more obvious. 

“So this is our last routine before tour kicks off on Saturday,” Dinah told the room, “I just wanted to tell you all you are awesome for grinding it out in here day in and day out and pushing yourselves - everything is great, and Derek you have really made this choreography come to life.” 

Derek smiled as everyone clapped and cheered and Dinah nodded. “Ready?”

Helena pushed herself off the floor and stretched her legs a bit. Today they were practicing in their uniforms in the stadium (black sweats, black crop tops, black snapbacks), with Dinah the only one in the same attire but in white and with a gold accent so she stood out when she performed. 

She took her position with her back turned and rolled her eyes when Dinah nudged her and smacked her butt. 

Helena gulped - Dinah’s midriff was exposed, all the lean muscle and flat of her belly… the belly she pressed her palm against while flicking her tongue just _so_ as hips chased her mouth, the belly that had defined muscles flexing when Dinah came.

Dancing could be very erotic and dancing with Dinah was the most erotic thing. 

“Get your mind out of the gutter, babe,” Dinah whispered in her ear knowingly, taking her own position with her hands on Helena’s shoulders. 

“Stop being so damn perfect then,” Helena snarked back right as the bass of the song started. 

It was one of Dinah’s biggest club hits, called ‘Motivation’ and it was pretty sexual. Dinah was going to be doing a warm-up of live singing today and Helena had been listening to her and watching her all day. She was a little nervous for this part. 

“You first,” Dinah said, right before her microphone was turned on, which had her voice loud and clear in the speakers. 

Helena blushed, glad the microphone hadn’t been turned on a few seconds earlier. That would have been awkward. 

“Lights!” one of the guys called out. 

“Dinah, on your lead!” Derek announced. 

Helena heard Dinah take a breath and start singing as soon as the beat started and she waited for the first few bars before the beat picked up and she did her part. 

She tuned out the other dancers, plugged into Dinah’s movements and started her routine. At the line saying ‘turn around’ she and the other ‘male’ dancers turned around and she did the first lift and spin with Dinah’s weight smoothly. 

She lost herself in the music and to her surprise, when she was tapping her feet and doing the slide and glide to ‘boy’, Dinah changed the pronouns to ‘girl’ and her heart stopped. She froze a beat before snapping out of it and back into the routine, catching Dinah’s smirk when they had to face each other for the next part. 

Dinah changed the pronouns on a song. For her. 

As the song came to an end with Dinah having jumped her hips and leaning back, Helena gently let her down, heart beating a mile a minute with her face flushed beyond the dancing. 

There was some cheering and applause and she looked to the side to see Barbara and Zinda in their outfits for the final number. 

“Damn, H, you don’t seem like you’ve been cementing tiles for the last decade! You were great!”

“Fuck off, Z,” Helena laughed, wiping her palm on her sweats, “You’ve been seeing me dance all week.” 

“Well apparently you've been half-assing it in the studio.” 

Dinah removed her microphone and handed it to the assistant that came around before removing her white and gold snapback, “Time for the final dance, girls? Day after tomorrow in front of thirty thousand with our reunion number.”

“Whoo!” They all cheered. 

“Let’s go get changed,” Barbara was buzzing on her feet. 

The layout of the tour was pretty straightforward: Cassandra Cain would be opening with three of her songs, then Dinah would start off her tour with her arrangement of songs: ‘It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World’; ‘Survivor’; ‘Blinding Lights’; ‘Girl On Fire’; ‘Halo’; ‘Irreplaceable’; ‘Bleeding Love’; and then ‘Motivation’, so Helena was warmed up right before their Bird Of Prey big number of ‘Wannabe’ as the closing song.

For ‘Wannabe’ they were wearing upgraded versions of what they wore in their original music video (different coloured tank tops with jeans and sneakers). In this case, it was light acid wash jeans (which were actually jeggings so they could dance), paired with Nike high-tops (one of Dinah’s sponsors), sports bras of their assigned colour, and custom shiny black bomber jackets for each with a tailored colour accent. 

Helena’s was purple with ‘Huntress’ emblazoned on the back, Zinda’s pink accent with ‘Blackhawk’, Dinah’s ‘Canary’ colour was canary yellow, and Barbara’s was bright green with ‘Batgirl.’ 

They performed to an empty stage and the crew cheered loudly. Even Renee danced with the other agents from their seats. 

“Ugh, thank God we get a day off,” Barbara was grinning from ear to ear, “I’m lying in a hot tub like all day, I’m so sore.” 

“Amen, sister,” Zinda groaned, tired on her feet. 

//

Getting swag was a celebrity perk Dinah sometimes enjoyed, and other times, found pretty odd. There were pros and there were cons to being given a lot of free stuff by her publicity team. 

Pros: free stuff like the clothes from designers who wanted her to wear them (clothes were her literal favourite part, if she was being honest), the alcohol (that Renee helped herself to) from sponsors, the fresh organic coffee grounds, the skincare she was contracted to promote all over the world (especially the skincare, since Helena loved it so much and Dinah found it adorable), and the drinkable yogurt deliveries. The drinkable yogurt was fucking awesome. 

Cons: the other kinds of free stuff like that time she was given an insane amount of allergy medication and had _no_ allergies (that she knew of), or like that time with the cat food. She didn’t have a cat. She was not going to ever get a cat either. And not to mention the latest fragrance by Roman Sionis. You couldn’t pay her enough to endorse that rancid smell of nasty. She was definitely not surprised he had gone bankrupt this year. 

However, _this_ latest particular shipment of swag was… something wholly different. Something that she had not yet wrapped her brain around how she should feel. She was kind of embarrassed and kind of aroused, and definitely one hundred percent curious. 

“What are those?” Helena was yawning, combing messy bedhead with fingers - an adorable sight Dinah was becoming utterly spoiled with every morning these last couple of weeks - and then folding down on crossed legs to sit beside her on the carpet floor. 

Roman Sionis should have bottled up Helena as a fragrance, that would have kept him in business. Dinah kissed the shoulder of her t-shirt and inhaled her in. Divine. 

“These are the whole fucking Fall collection of Zatanna‘s magic Sexy Toys,” she held up one of the boxes and shook her head in amusement. 

Helena snorted, having assumed Dinah was joking, and then when her sleepy eyes focused on the words on the packages (and images), her shock turned into a gasped coughing fit. 

“Yeah,” Dinah giggled and read the card out loud, “Dear Dinah, you’re the epitome of a female empowered by their sexuality without apologies. Here are the new items from my fall collection for you to enjoy, they are my most magical yet. See you around - winky face, Z.” 

Dinah giggled harder when she saw the redness to Helena’s cheeks and casually tossed a package at her. Just for that cute face, this was definitely a pro. 

“Have you ever used stuff like this?” Dinah pressed her girlfriend, her fingers gliding over the box and then gently tossed it at her. 

Helena fumbled with catching the box, her blush brighter when she saw the words and shape of the vibrator inside. 

“Vibatron Z? It kind of sounds like a Power Ranger,” she mumbled, causing Dinah to laugh. 

“You mean Transformer,” Dinah teased her back. 

Helena caught her teasing eyes and smiled, shy as they observed each other before she confessed and tossed the vibrator back, “I’ve never used anything like that, no… but my ex was pretty into the whole ugh… she liked it when I wore a… you know, strapon...”

The words taper off again and Dinah was dying on the inside to know more, her own heart lurching at the sinful thought of Helena’s hips (the same ones she had to mount during every dance routine to a sexual lyric, feel their second-long grind before her feet touched ground again) pistoning privately just for her. 

“Who? Komy Anders?” She was pretty jealous and also turned on to know more of Helena’s experience. It was an odd feeling. 

Helena looked shocked that she knew even that, “Not with -- wait, how do you know about Komy?”

Dinah tried to sound cool and detached, “Paxton and Tabitha were whispering in the bathroom a while back because _apparently_ Paxton saw you in her dressing room on a set and it left nothing to the imagination...”

Helena looked concerned, but reached over to touch Dinah’s hand, “I just promised to keep it a secret with her. She’s in the closet… I told her that it was risky to be caught but she was very insistent that day…”

Dinah rolled her eyes and twisted her hand away to resume sorting through the boxes. She knew it was Helena’s past and she had her own exes, quite a few of them, but the thought of someone else being with _her_ girlfriend was still annoying. 

“Hey, Dinah,” Helena looked pained, “that was over a year now since we last hooked up -- it was just sex. Please don’t be mad...” 

“I’m not mad at you,” Dinah defended quickly though she knew she sounded it, “Just irrationally jealous at the thought of someone else touching you…” 

Helena surprised her with a shy smile, “Yeah… I kind of get that.” 

Dinah, relieved she wasn’t being too crazy, hesitantly asked, “If Komy wasn’t your ex then who?” 

Helena sighed, sounding afraid as she spoke it out loud. “Her name was Catalina.”

Dinah frowned, she knew no famous people named… “Catalina who?”

“She worked for me.” Helena said, seeming to realise Dinah’s assumption the woman was famous. “We broke up over two years ago now.”

“And you never told me… I broke up with Oliver around the same time…”

“I was only with her for eight months, Dinah. You were with… him longer than that.” 

“Still, I’m fucking jealous, okay.” Dinah found a loose thread on her pant leg and tugged at it.

“Oh?” She looked up to find Helena looking confused. “Are you really that jealous?”

“Yeah! And I know it’s the past and I have no right to be, especially since I was with Oliver around that time, but the thought of another -- of anyone being with you the way I have is just… I really don’t like it.” 

“ _Oh_.” Helena sounded breathless, “You don’t need to be jealous of anyone, okay? Nothing compares. _No one_ compares.”

“I know how petty I sound okay,” Dinah groaned and fell back, lying flat on the carpet of her home with her limbs splayed and her hair generating static. “It’s just…”

Helena was leaning over her, a warm, soft hand gently rubbing her bare arm before a forehead touched hers. “I won’t tell you how to feel… but you being jealous of me and another girl is also another one of my fantasies, so…”

Dinah dug her fingers into Helana’s ribs to tickle her smart ass, and they laughed before Dinah asked another question, “Why’d you break up with her?”

She could feel the tension this question brought to Helena’s muscles, and Dinah almost regretted asking, but listened as her cagey friend and lover finally opened up some more. 

“Catalina and I broke up because… she told me she loved me and I didn’t say it back,” Helena said gently. “She thought I was afraid to come out…I just didn’t feel like she was the one for me. I told her she could do better, and she deserved someone who could love her back. I was partially afraid to come out, yeah -- you saw how my family reacted -- but it wasn’t just that. I liked her but I didn’t love her.”

“Ouch,” Dinah turned on her side, squeezing Helena’s fingers, “You’re the heartbreaker they write songs about, huh, babe?”

Helena playfully rolled her eyes and said, “Last I heard she’s married, happy… how about you and Oliver?”

“What do you mean?”

“What… what happened?”

“Okay, listen, between the two of us I _actually_ told you about my dating life like friends tend to do... As far as I knew all you cared about was work. Who knew you had a secret girlfriend, or were fucking Miss Unvierse in her trailer the whole time.”

Helena groaned from her sass before laughing, “I thought you were too jealous to think about it, now you’re making jokes huh?”

Dinah giggled and then played with the warm fingers in her hand. “He wanted me to choose. Career, or, him. A guy like that, who never had to work for his dream… who doesn’t have dreams… he couldn’t understand me fighting for mine…”

“I’ll never make you choose,” Helena promised her, “I want to be the one you can lean on. Not the one who--”

Dinah cuts off her words with a kiss, rolling her body on top of her girlfriend to devour the lips that spoke to her heart. 

Helena cupped the back of her neck, parting her thighs to let Dinah slot their legs together. Dinah tugged on her lip, close enough to see the blood rush there from her hooded eyes. She savoured the taste of fruit balm between them, the sweetness of something so much more than any other kiss. She dove in for another taste, angling her nose and purring as Helena’s hand fisted into her hair. 

“So,” Dinah murmured, breaking off their kiss to smirk at Helena’s flushed appearance, her eyes hooded as she reached down to slip her hand purposefully down the seam of pajama pants, “we go on tour tomorrow.”

“Yeah,” Helena seemed to be on the same page as her, breath soft and high with desire, “and we have the day off…”

“Oh yeah, and this fall collection is a sign…” Dinah pushed her body up so she was on her knees and looking down at her girlfriend. “And I rather like this position, don’t you?”

Helena lifted herself a few inches with her elbows, lifting her eyebrow, “What do you have in mind?”

“I think,” Dinah gently teased her fingers to rub up under the t-shirt and against a lean abdomen. “We need to get out all the hot sex we won’t be able to have time for on tour out of our systems…”

“Impossible,” Helena reached forward to tickle her knee, eyes devouring her legs and hips before glancing up, “to get you out of my system.”

“Okay,” She rolled her eyes, not bothering to hide how much she loved that sappy kind of shit, and grabbed a box with a stark purple dildo, “I want to see you wearing nothing but _this._ How about that?” 

/

Dinah had drawn down all the blinds in her bedroom. It was the middle of the day, and she wanted to create the right ambiance for what she planned with Helena. The blinds brought privacy and an alluring darkness, she was able to light up a few fragrant candles, and now she was sitting, waiting in her bedsheets naked and eager for what was to come. 

“H?” She called out tentatively, Helena had been in the bathroom for over ten minutes. Surely it didn’t take that long to strap on a dildo?

Helena had taken the box and her instruction without any hesitation or answer, only a slow kiss that deepened with each passing second until they were panting and needed more before she let Dinah lead her to the master bedroom. 

The bathroom door opened after her call, and Helena emerged, her hands on the doorframe as she stood a few feet away. She looked even sexier than Dinah had imagined. The harness was made of soft black leather, and protruding from the centre metallic ring was the purple dildo, curved up and…

“Oh, babe,” Dinah lifted up the bedsheets on her side and beckoned Helena over, “you look so hot.”

Helena smirked and stepped forward, confidence growing after Dinah’s reaction, “Yeah?”

“Get in here,” Dinah was desperate to sit astride that body and let her hips have a ride.

“How do you want to--” Helena’s question was cut off with a kiss full of greedy hunger and hands pulling her down into the sheets. 

She gasped as hands gripped her hips, the unfamiliar feeling of the dildo pressed between them where she usually felt Helena’s body, flat and lean. 

“Wait,” Helena turned them onto their side and cushioned her neck with an arm, “we don’t have any lube.”

“Oh, right,” Dinah bit her lip, “I forgot it downstairs, sorry babe.” 

“That’s okay,” Helena moved closer and kissed her neck gently before promising her, “I’ll be right back…”

Dinah was on her back as Helena disappeared under the covers, sweet kisses on her chest, pinching and biting on her nipples. She loved how Helena twisted the piercings for just a gasp of pain before soothing her with a wet tongue and sucking. 

“Oh fuck! Helena... I’m so wet, babe,” She pulled the sheet aside to see Helena kissing her hip bone. Always so slow and predatory, always so sure and methodic. Dinah reached down and combed her hand through soft dark hair as Helena maneuvered her legs over shoulders and groaned into her sex like it was a Michelin star dessert served to a starved stomach. 

Dinah’s breathing was ragged as a tongue beckoned her to arousal. She felt herself getting impossibly wet already and within seconds Helena was working her up, as if she was a remote control turning Dinah on. 

Calling out with a moan of “yes!” as Helena flicked her tongue, Dinah rolled her hips up into a mouth she thought of way too often. Where she expected the buildup of her release to gain momentum, Helena retreated to kiss her inner thighs and gently bite up her hip bone before raising her body on her knees. 

Dinah’s chest was heaving and she reached forward to grab the purple dildo like a leash and tug Helena forward to her. Helena fell forward, holding herself up on her arms as Dinah gave her a thankful kiss, tasting the evidence of how much she was turned on. 

“You’re so smug aren’t you,” Dinah accused her, breath tickling an ear, smirking and running her fingertips lightly over a collarbone. 

“Mhmm,” Helena nuzzled their noses together, eyes dark with a desire Dinah mutually understood, “Lucky, more like it.” 

Dinah enjoyed the laboring of Helena’s breath as she teased her fingers along her neck and shoulder before telling her, “Lie down.”

She could see Helena obediently lie back, switching positions with her as she fluidly got her desired position. 

“You ready?” She asked Helena, receiving a wordless nod as Helena watched her raise her hips over the end of the strap on, pressing the end to the entrance and pausing. 

Dinah had never used a sex toy before, and the hardness initially shocked her -- but not as much with how easily it slid into her. She was so wet and ready for this -- and the control of knowing she could cum when she wanted to with Helena underneath her was enough to have her pumping her hips as soon as the toy bottomed out in her. 

She pressed her palms to Helena’s breasts and held her breath at first before the pleasure coursing through her body had her seductively look Helena in the eyes and breath her name. 

“Helena,” she picked up her pace, “Oh my god you look so beautiful, fuck!” 

Helena closed her eyes before looking at the junction of their hips, watching the way Dinah rolled her hips in circles. Seeing the focus on her and starting to get used to the feel of the dildo, Dinah changed course to a bounce lightly on her knees. 

“Fuck that feels good,” she switched from light shallow thrusts to faster, deeper ones. Lifting and dropping the mattress with her as she picked up the pace. 

“Can I touch you?” Helena looked like she was losing her mind and Dinah spared a smirk, before pausing her movements all together and digging her nails into Helena before leaning down to kiss her. 

Helena whimpered into her mouth and Dinah sat back up and warned her, “Not yet. Later...”

Pleased with Helena’s obedience, she swiveled her hips and kept a forty-five degree angle, loudly gasping as she found her desired speed and the perfect pressure on her clit. 

Dinah often found herself having to close her eyes during sex in the past, but with Helena she needed to watch her -- finding the look of adoration and desire and just her overall hotness -- enough to get her off. 

“Fuck, Dinah,” Helena lifted her hips up, not touching her but using the angle and harness to aid Dinah’s rigorous climax. 

“Fuck!” Dinah shouted out to her room as she shook in pleasure, body rigid as she came, “Oh fuck!”

She collapsed forward a few moments later, spent and satisfied. She kissed Helena, melting into her scent and body, gently humping out the last few waves of pleasure before closing her eyes and sighing out her pleasure. 

Helena’s fingers were gently soothing a trail up her arm, the other hand holding her close by the low of her back. 

“You’re so beautiful when you cum,” Helena whispered into her temple. 

Dinah nuzzled into her neck. She had seen Helena’s eyes worshipping her, and she knew that was why her orgasm had been so intense. 

“You’re so beautiful,” she rolled off of Helena and onto her side, blushing when she saw how much she came all over the dildo and Helena’s hips. Damn. “Tell me honestly…”

“Yeah?” Helena leaned onto her side, a hand reaching to play with Dinah’s hair. It was losing it’s blonde dye, and she was thinking of getting her natural colour back for the tour. 

“Have you ever thought of me when you fucked another girl?”

Helena’s fingers paused and Dinah had her answer. 

“With Komy?” She hated how much this was stroking her ego. 

Unlike before when Helena had seemed almost ashamed, this time Helena looked amused as her cheeks flushed with being caught. 

“With… everyone. Even without,” Helena reached down and slipped in between Dinah legs, “told you there was no comparison…”

Her words were whispered into Dinah’s lips as they kissed. Dinah sighed, feeling fingers check how wet she was before her thighs widened and Helena aligned the toy to push back inside. 

“Tell me,” she begged Helena, eyes searching for the same kind of emotion she felt and finding it in extremes.

Fuck, if that wasn’t exactly what love songs were written about. Somehow this was the most intimate moment of her entire life, and Dinah felt her eyes start to cloud with tears. 

“I love you, Dinah,” Helena’s hands were under her shoulders as she confessed so quietly, and Dinah had not done missionary in ages but it was less about the position and more about the realisation that she wasn’t being fucked this time, she was being made love to. 

She pulled Helena in closer and she didn’t know where she ended and where Helena began. It was hot and burning where their bodies touched, soft and sweet as they kissed and caressed, and heaven in the sense that everywhere felt good, too good to think. 

“I love you too,” she promised, wondering how she ever thought she had been in love before and afraid of how she never knew it could feel this way, this good and pure. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading let me know your thoughts!


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